title: Weekly topotecan for recurrent small cell lung cancer - a retrospective Anatolian Medical Oncology Group study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate efficacy and tolerability of topotecan treatment for recurrent small cell lung carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 62 patients were evaluated retrospectively. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Instat (version 3.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty five patients (89%) were male and 7 (11%) were female. Median age was 56.7 ± 9.3 (34-75). Forty eight of patients (80%) were extensive stage (ES) at the time of diagnosis. Fifty of the patients (80.6 Medical Oncology Clinic) were given median 5.36 cycles of cisplatin-etoposide (2-8 cycles). Time to recurrence was 15.6 ± 6.13 weeks in patients with limited stage (LS) and 6.3 ± 3.82 weeks in extensive stage (ES) (p<0.0001). Overall survival was 14.0 ± 6.08 months in ES and 17.9 ± 6.88 months in LS. The difference between two groups was statistically meaningful (p=0.0447). The overall survival of the patients was 14.8 ± 6.43 months (4.5-40 months). In terms of survival, there was no difference between males and females (p=0.1171). In 17 (27%) patients who were refractory to topotecan or in whom progression occurred other chemotherapies were used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Small cell lung cancer is chemosensitive, but recurrences occur in short time. Other chemotherapy regimens are used in progression. Topotecan is one of them. Patients who were young and in whom recurrences occur late had given better response to topotecan. Because of the retrospective nature of the study, we couldn't reach the records exactly and consequently, rate and duration of response couldn't be calculated. In recurrent SCLC topotecan is one of the treatment choices. But both hematological and non hematological side effects should be taken into consideration.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Clinic, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. draltinbas@mynet.com
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altinbas
authors.forename: Mehmet Emin
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kalender
authors.forename: Basak
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oven
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sevinc
authors.forename: Halit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.forename: M Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Suleyman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alici
authors.forename: Erkan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Arpaci
authors.forename: Ramazan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: Dogan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Uncu
authors.forename: Celalettin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Camci
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gumus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D019772:Topotecan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D019772:Topotecan