Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin and etoposide in bronchogenic squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. A study by the EORTC lung cancer working party (Belgium)

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Abstract
Cisplatin and etoposide combination was used in 94 patients with measurable or evaluable bronchogenic squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma. The overall response rate was 38% with four complete remissions (CR). In patients with locoregional disease who did not receive any prior anticancer therapy the response rate was 56% (19/34) with three CR, significantly (P = 0.02) higher than that observed in the other patients (28%). The overall median duration of response was 36.7 weeks. Patients with locoregional disease who did not receive any prior anticancer therapy had a median duration of response of 43.6 weeks; longer than that (27.5 weeks) in the other patients. Overall, responding patients survived significantly longer (P < 0.0001) than non responders (median survival 60.0 weeks versus 23.0). Toxicity was tolerable; gastrointestinal side effects were occasionally responsible for discontinuation of therapy and sepsis was the cause of death in two neutropenic patients. No serious nephrotoxicity was observed. The combination of cisplatin and etoposide should probably be tested in combination with surgery or radiotherapy.