title: Cisplatin plus etoposide chemotherapy followed by thoracic irradiation and paclitaxel plus cisplatin consolidation therapy for patients with limited stage small cell lung carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of a cisplatin plus etoposide regimen followed by thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) and paclitaxel plus cisplatin consolidation chemotherapy in patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine patients with limited SCLC were enrolled onto this study. Patients received three courses of cisplatin 75 mg/m2 i.v., day 1 and etoposide 100 mg/m2 i.v., days 1-3 (EP regimen), followed by TRT (45-56 Gy administered in 15 fractions), and three courses of paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 i.v., day 1 and cisplatin, as previously, on day 2 (PP regimen); cycles were repeated every 21 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were evaluable for toxicity and 34 for response. The overall response rate was 67% (CR: 26%; PR: 41%; intention-to-treat analysis) (95% CI: 53.0-84.2%). After a median follow-up period of 15 months, the median survival time was 15 months, the median time to tumor progression 8.3 months and the 1-year survival rate 53.8%. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 39% and 36% of patients receiving EP and PP regimens, respectively. The incidence of febrile neutropenia was 5% and 3% for EP and PP regimens, respectively. Other hematologic and non-hematologic toxicities were mild, with the exception of esophagitis occurring in 36% of patients during and/or immediately after radiotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consolidation therapy with PP after sequential EP and thoracic radiotherapy is feasible and well-tolerated; however, the efficacy results are comparable with those previously obtained in the same patients' population using a combination of EP and TRT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakolyris
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agelidou
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Androulakis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsaroucha
authors.forename: Ch
authors.initials: Ch
authors.lastname: Kouroussis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agelidou
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Karvounis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Veslemes
authors.forename: Ch
authors.initials: Ch
authors.lastname: Christophylakis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Argyraki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Geroyianni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Georgoulias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000528:radiation effects; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D020714:Maximum Tolerated Dose; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005047:Etoposide; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin