title: Experience with carboplatin and etoposide maintenance chemotherapy in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether maintenance therapy with carboplatin and etoposide improves progression-free and overall survival in patients with extensive stage small cell lung cancer, compared to the standard four to six cycles of cisplatin and etoposide.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two patient records (25 males and 17 females) were retrospectively reviewed in a single community practice. All patients were over the age of 18, with pathologically and radiographically proven extensive stage small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). The starting doses of chemotherapy were carboplatin, AUC (area under the curve) of 6 IV day 1, and etoposide, 100 mg/m2IV days 1-3. The regimen was administered every 3 weeks and increased to every 4 to 5 weeks as tolerated or until documented progression occurred. Varying second-line chemotherapies were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median overall survival was 17 months from diagnosis, with a progression-free survival of 15 months. Seventy-nine percent of the patients survived more than 10 months. The 1- and 2-year overall survival (OAS) rates were 0.74 (31 patients) and 0.31 (13 patients), respectively. The 1- and 2-year progression free survival (PFS) rates were 0.50 (21 patients) and 0.21 (9 patients), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The improved overall and progression-free survival compared to the current standard in this small single center cohort suggests that maintenance therapy with carboplatin and etoposide to progression may be a prudent area for further investigation in a properly powered randomized, controlled trial.
authors.affiliation: Georgetown University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Amaan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siddiqi
authors.affiliation: Auerbach Hematology and Oncology, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Huzefa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bahrain
authors.affiliation: Georgetown University School of Medicine; Auerbach Hematology and Oncology, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Auerbach
keywords: maintenance therapy; metastasis; overall survival; progression-free survival