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.
Boyer
M J
MJ
Royal Prince Albert Hospital, Sydney Cancer Centre, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia. mboyer@canc.rpa.cs.nws.gov.au
Mitchell
P
P
Goldstein
D
D
Millward
M J
MJ
Olver
I N
IN
Clarke
S J
SJ
Richardson
G
G
Davis
I
I
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