Randomised phase II study of cisplatin-etoposide versus infusional carboplatin in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and mesothelioma.
BACKGROUND
A randomised phase II study was performed to compare standard combination chemotherapy containing cisplatin and etoposide with infusional carboplatin.


METHODS
One hundred twenty patients with locally advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer or mesothelioma were enrolled. All were chemotherapy-naïve and had a Karnofsky performance status of > or = 50. Patients were randomised to either four cycles of bolus therapy of cisplatin 80 mg/m2 day 1, etoposide 120 mg/m2 day 1-3, or continuous infusion of carboplatin 100/mg/m2/week for six weeks.


RESULTS
No patients on infusional therapy incurred grade 3-4 toxicity while in the bolus arm, grade 3 and grade 4 leucopenia occurred in 17% and 35% of patients, respectively. Grade 4 thrombocytopenia occurred in 8% of patients and there were two instances of grade 3 renal toxicity. No responses occurred in the pump arm. Eight of forty-six patients with non-small-cell lung cancer responded to treatment (response rate 17.3%) with two complete responses and six partial responses. Only one patient with mesothelioma responded to bolus therapy. There was no difference in survival for the subset of NSCLC patients. Survival for mesothelioma patients in the pump arm was superior but this was likely to be a result of early deaths in the bolus arm.


CONCLUSIONS
The pump arm was well-tolerated but not active, whilst combination platinum-based therapy demonstrated activity but significantly more toxicity than the pump arm. Further studies of infusional carboplatin with this schedule are not warranted.
White
S C
SC
Department of Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester, UK.
Anderson
H
H
Jayson
G C
GC
Ashcroft
L
L
Ranson
M
M
Thatcher
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin