A phase II trial was undertaken to test the activity and toxicity of carboplatin (300 mg/m2, i.v. day 1) + epirubicin (75 mg/m2, i.v. day 1) + VP-16 (100 mg/m2, i.v. days 1 to 3) + lenograstim (5 mcg/kg, s.c. days 6 to 15) administered every 3 weeks for 4 cycles and subsequent chest irradiation (50 Gy) + daily carboplatin (25 mg/m2) in the first-line treatment of adults affected by limited small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Patients and methods: A single-stage phase II design was used; the complete response (CR) rate after chest radiotherapy was the primary end-point. Twenty-three CRs were required out of 38 patients to consider the treatment worthy of further study. Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) was planned in case of CR. Patients aged < or = 70 were eligible if they had limited SCLC, a performance status not worse than 2 by the ECOG scale and no prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
Results: From January 1995 to April 1999, 33 patients were enrolled; the median age was 60 years. All the patients started chemotherapy; 23 patients received chest irradiation and concurrent daily carboplatin; 11 patients also received PCI. Toxicity was generally mild. Sixteen CRs (48.5%, 95% CI: 30.8-66.5) were recorded; the objective response rate was 72.7% (95% CI: 54.5-86.7). The median time-to-progression was 7.9 months (95% CI: 6.5-10.4). The median-survival was 10.7 months (95% CI: 9.2-16.1).
Conclusion: Induction chemotherapy with carboplatin + epirubicin + VP-16 followed by chest irradiation plus concurrent daily carboplatin is well-tolerated but not sufficiently active to warrant further study in the treatment of patients with limited SCLC.