Phase II study of paclitaxel and oral etoposide in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
The combination of paclitaxel and etoposide was evaluated in a phase II study in patients with locally advanced or metastatic non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Thirty-five patients, median age 61, received treatment with paclitaxel 200 mg/m (2) intravenous over 3 h on day 1, and oral etoposide, 100 mg daily on days 1-5. Cycles were repeated every 21 days for a maximum of nine cycles, or until progression occurred. Twenty-eight patients had stage IV disease, and seven patients had stage IIIA or B disease. There was one complete and seven partial responses (overall response rate, 23%). Two of these responses were in patients with stage III disease (29%) and six in patients with stage IV disease (21%). Median survival was 8.7 months, and 36% of patients were alive at 1 year. There were no treatment-related deaths and little grade 3 or 4 non-haematological toxicity although grade 3 or 4 neutropenia occurred in 60% of patients (33% of cycles). There were four episodes of febrile neutropenia. The combination of paclitaxel and oral etoposide is active in advanced NSCLC and can be delivered with acceptable toxicity.
Royal Prince Albert Hospital, Sydney Cancer Centre, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. mboyer@canc.rpa.cs.nws.gov.au
M J
MJ
Boyer
P
P
Mitchell
D
D
Goldstein
M J
MJ
Millward
I N
IN
Olver
S J
SJ
Clarke
G
G
Richardson
I
I
Davis
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D005047:Etoposide; D017239:Paclitaxel