Phase II trial of combination chemotherapy with dacarbazine, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, doxorubicin, and vindesine (DECAV) in advanced renal cell cancer.

Eighteen patients with advanced renal cell cancer were evaluated for objective response to a combination chemotherapy regimen twenty-eight-day (d) cycles, with dacarbazine (200 mg/sq m/d, d1,2,3); cyclophosphamide (400 mg/sq m/d, d1); cisplatin (100 mg/sq m/d, d1); doxorubicin (50 mg/sq m/d, d1); vindesine (1.5 mg/sq m/d, d1,2) (DECAV). One response in 16 patients was observed (6.25%; 95% confidence limits are 0-30%). No major toxicity occurred. An important point is that the only complete remission was observed in a patient with sarcomatoid cell renal cancer. At this dose with this schedule this combination regimen appears to have no activity in renal cell carcinoma.