Irinotecan plus carboplatin in patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer

• Published in: Medical oncology (Northwood, London, England) Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 342 - 350
• Main Authors: Kim, Young Saing, Park, Se Hoon, Kyung, Sun Young, Sym, Sun Jin, Lee, Sang Pyo, Park, Jeong Woong, Jung, Sung Hwan, Park, Jinny, Cho, Eun Kyung, Lee, Jae Hoon, Shin, Dong Bok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.03.2011; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Bone Neoplasms - drug therapy; Bone Neoplasms - secondary; Brain Neoplasms - drug therapy; Brain Neoplasms - secondary; Camptothecin - administration & dosage; Camptothecin - analogs & derivatives; Carboplatin - administration & dosage; Disease Progression; Female; Hematology; Humans; Internal Medicine; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - secondary; Lung cancer; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Oncology; Original Paper; Pathology; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma - drug therapy; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma - pathology; Treatment Outcome; Carboplatin; Irinotecan; Chemotherapy; Small-cell lung cancer
• ISSN: 1357-0560; 1559-131X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12032-010-9453-z

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of irinotecan in combination with carboplatin in previously untreated, extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC). Patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed ED-SCLC received irinotecan (60 mg/m 2 on days 1, 8, and 15) plus carboplatin (AUC 5 on day 1) every 4 weeks. Treatment was repeated until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or up to 6 cycles. Forty-four patients were enrolled. In an intent-to-treat analysis, the overall response rate (RR) was 75% (8 complete responses and 25 partial responses). The median progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 5.6 and 8.7 months, respectively. The principle toxicities were neutropenia and diarrhea. Grade 3–4 neutropenia occurred in 30% of the patients and 7% of patients presented with febrile neutropenia. Grade 3–4 diarrhea occurred in 21% of the patients. A subgroup consisting of patients ≥65 years of age had outcomes similar to the younger group <65 years of age. The objective RR was 72% in the patients <65 years of age and 77% in the patients ≥65 years of age ( P  = .738). The median PFS and OS (<65 years vs. ≥65 years) were 5.3 vs. 5.6 months ( P  = .835) and 9.0 vs. 8.7 months ( P  = .648), respectively. The combination of irinotecan and carboplatin is active and tolerable in patients with ED-SCLC. This regimen could be considered as a treatment option for patients of advanced age.