title: Is there still a role for mitomycin-based combination chemotherapy in treating patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer? A single institution experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mitomycin and irinotecan are widely used in the treatment of colorectal cancer, furthermore both of these drugs are active agents against nonsmall cell lung cancer and their combination has shown synergism in preclinical studies. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mitomycin- and irinotecan-based chemotherapy combination in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer progressing after previous antineoplastic therapies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one consecutive patients suffering from nonsmall cell lung cancer, who underwent mitomycin- plus irinotecan-based chemotherapy as salvage treatment after failure of at least two previous systemic treatments, were retrospectively identified in our database. Between September 2003 and March 2011, 31 patients with histologically proven stage IIIB or IV nonsmall cell lung cancer, received mitomycin 5 mg/m(2) on day 1 followed by irinotecan 150 mg/m(2) on day 2. Cycles were repeated at 2-week interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 164 cycles of treatment were given with a median of five per patient (range 1-10). The objective responses included partial response in 6 patients (19.3%), stable disease in 4 (13%), and progressive disease in 21 (67.7%). Median time to disease progression was 4 months, and median survival was 9+ months. Twelve patients (38%) reached 1-year survival. Grade 3-4 toxicities occurred in seven patients (22.5%), mainly myelosuppression (neutropenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia), mucositis, and diarrhea. No treatment-related death was recorded.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mitomycin- and irinotecan-based combination chemotherapy seems to be tolerated and active in this subset of heavily pretreated patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer. However, evaluation or recruitment of a larger number of patients would be needed to provide more adequate data on safety and activity of the described combination.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, San Vincenzo Hospital, Italy. f.vitale@videobank.it
authors.forename: Felice V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malaponte
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calì
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Panebianco
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blandino
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferraù
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D016685:Mitomycin; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002166:Camptothecin