CISPLATIN, DOXORUBICIN, CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE, AND VINDESINE COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY FOR NON-SMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER

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  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 66  (2) , 247-251
Abstract
Seventy-four patients with non-small cell lung cancer were treated in a prospective, randomized trial either with a 4-drug combination of ciplatin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and vindesine (PACE) or with a 3-drug combination of ciplatin, cyclophosphamide and vindesine (PCE). None of these patients had received prior chemotherapy; all had a Karnofsky performance status of at least 60. Of 68 evaluable patients, 21 (31%) had complete or partial remissions. Response rates for PACE and PCE were similar; there was no difference in response rates for patients with adenocarcinoma or epidermoid cancer. The median duration of remission was 10 mo. (range, 2-26 + mo.); 5 patients are still in remission (median, 18+ mo.; range, 17+ to 26+ mo.). The median duration of survival for responding patients (complete or partial) was 18 mo. Toxic effects, including mild to moderate myelosuppression, peripheral neuropathy and nephrotoxicity, were manageable in general. The response rates and remission durations for PACE and PCE are similar to those seen with the 2-drug combination of cisplatin and vindesine; toxic effects are similar. Thus, the addition of doxorubicin and/or cyclophosphamide adds no advantage to the use of the cisplatin and vindesine combination alone.