Amrubicin for treating elderly and poor-risk patients with small-cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of amrubicin as first-line chemotherapy for elderly and poor-risk patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC).


METHODS
Untreated SCLC patients who were >75 years of age or had a performance status of 2 or more were eligible. Amrubicin (35 or 40 mg/m(2) on days 1-3 every 3 weeks) was administered.


RESULTS
Between January 2003 and May 2009, 27 patients were evaluated. The median number of treatment cycles was 4 (1-6). Grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicities comprised neutropenia (63%), leukopenia (56%), thrombocytopenia (15%), and anemia (19%). Febrile neutropenia was observed in four (15%) patients. No treatment-related deaths occurred. The nonhematologic toxicities were mild. The overall response rate was 70%. Progression-free survival, median survival time, and the 1-year survival rate were 6.6 months, 9.3 months, and 30%, respectively. The 40 mg/m(2) dose was feasible and had a tendency to be more effective than the 35 mg/m(2) dose.


CONCLUSIONS
Amrubicin exhibits activity and acceptable toxicities for elderly and poor-risk patients with ED-SCLC in the first-line treatment setting.
Igawa
Satoshi
S
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 228-0022, Japan. igawa@kitasato-u.ac.jp
Ryuge
Shinichiro
S
Fukui
Tomoya
T
Otani
Sakiko
S
Kimura
Yuka
Y
Katono
Ken
K
Takakura
Akira
A
Kubota
Masaru
M
Mitsufuji
Hisashi
H
Katagiri
Masato
M
Yanase
Nobuo
N
Masuda
Noriyuki
N
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018943:Anthracyclines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C055866:amrubicin
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