title: Long-term amrubicin chemotherapy for small-cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Amrubicin is an active agent for the treatment of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, there have been no reports of long-term amrubicin use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with SCLC who were treated with eight or more cycles of amrubicin chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median number of cycles of amrubicin chemotherapy received by the patients was 12 (range=8-20), and the median cumulative dose of amrubicin was 2076 mg (range=1200-2856 mg). The median survival time of the study patients was 1104 days (range=459-1997 days). The main adverse events observed during amrubicin chemotherapy were leukopenia and neutropenia. The cardiothoracic ratio (CTR), expressed as the mean (standard deviation) of the values measured at the initiation and termination of amrubicin chemotherapy was 46.2 (4.0), and 46.1 (5.1), respectively. The change in CTR did not reach statistical significance (p=0.92).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term amrubicin chemotherapy is a safe and effective treatment that is associated with a good survival prognosis in properly selected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Malignancy, Osaka Prefectural Medical Center for Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Osaka, Japan. puer_aeternus_0308@goo.jp
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Higashiguchi
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirashima
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Sho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goya
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Motohiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamiya
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawase
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C055866:amrubicin