Ifosfamide, doxorubicin and etoposide in small cell lung cancer patients with poor prognosis.

61 patients with small cell lung cancer in a poor prognosis group were treated with chemotherapy and with thoracic radiotherapy if they had 'limited stage' disease. No prophylactic cranial irradiation was given. Chemotherapy comprised doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 and ifosfamide 5 g/m2 with mesna on day 1, and etoposide 120 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 2 and 240 mg/m2 orally on day 3. Treatment was repeated every 3 weeks for a maximum of six courses and no dosage reductions were allowed. Complete response rate in limited stage patients was 55% and 16% in extensive stage patients. The partial responses were 38% and 66% respectively. Overall median survival was 10.5 months with 2-year survival of 14%. The corresponding values for limited stage disease were 13 months and 16% and for extensive stage disease 8 months and 13%. Despite the addition of doxorubicin at a somewhat higher dosage than usual in this type of regimen and a policy of no dose reduction, toxicity was generally mild. There was, however, a 19% relapse rate in complete responders in the brain, apparently as the sole site of disease.