Multi-institutional phase II trial of irinotecan, cisplatin, and etoposide for sensitive relapsed small-cell lung cancer

Irinotecan (CPT-11) has been shown to exhibit excellent antitumour activity against small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). A multi-institutional phase II study was therefore conducted to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of CPT-11 combined with cisplatin (CDDP) and etoposide (ETOP) (PEI regimen) for the treatment of sensitive relapsed SCLC. Patients who responded to first-line chemotherapy but relapsed more than 8 weeks after the completion of first-line therapy (n=40) were treated using the PEI regimen, which consisted of CDDP (25 mg m⁻²) weekly for 9 weeks, ETOP (60 mg m⁻²) for 3 days on weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, and CPT-11 (90 mg m⁻²) on weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8 with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support. Five complete responses and 26 partial responses were observed, and the overall response rate was 78% (95% confidence interval 61.5–89.2%). The median survival time was 11.8 months, and the estimated 1-year survival rate was 49%. Grade 3/4 leucocytopenia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia were observed in 55, 73, and 33% of the patients, respectively. Nonhaematological toxicities were mild and transient in all patients. In conclusion, the PEI regimen is considered to be highly active and well tolerated for the treatment of sensitive relapsed SCLC.

Second-line chemotherapy for small-cell lung cancer: a review

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive malignancy, and only a minority of patients survive 2 years. Although this cancer is sensitive to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the majority of patients relapse, and second-line treatment is an option for many. Currently in the United States, the combination of cisplatin/etoposide is the standard first-line therapy in SCLC. At this time, topotecan is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved chemotherapeutic agent for second-line treatment of SCLC. In this paper, we review studies of second-line chemotherapy for SCLC.