Vindesine and etoposide: A practical and well-tolerated therapy for elderly patients or patients in reduced clinical condition with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).
BACKGROUND
Small-cell lung cancer is a disease affecting mostly elderly persons. Therefore, many patients show marked comorbidity and intensive chemotherapy is not possible in such patients. As the disease is most often in the 'extensive' stage at diagnosis, the therapy option is only palliative.


METHODS
[corrected] We used a combination therapy with vindesine and etoposide in treating 41 patients (median age: 63 years) over 155 cycles of chemotherapy.


RESULTS
This treatment resulted in a response rate of 43.9% and a median survival time of 9.3 months and thus equals established schemes in its effectiveness. However, its rate of adverse effects (hematoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, neuropathy) is smaller than those of the established therapy schemes ACO, EPICO, or carboplatine/etoposide.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapy of advanced SCLC with vindesine and etoposide can be applied in an ambulant setting and offers an improved quality of life with equivalent therapeutic effectivity. Therefore it is especially suitable for patients of older age and fragile condition due to comorbidity.
Bonn
Oliver
O
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany.
Schmidt-Wolf
Gabriele
G
Risse
Frank
F
Glasmacher
Axel
A
Kleinschmidt
Rolf
R
Schmidt-Wolf
Ingo G H
IG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005047:Etoposide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015996:Survival Rate; D014751:Vindesine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D005047:Etoposide; D014751:Vindesine