Comparison of vindesine plus cisplatin or vindesine plus mitomycin in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Fifty-eight patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer were randomly allocated to receive vindesine (3 mg/m2 every week) plus either cisplatin (80 mg/m2 every 3 weeks) or mitomycin (8 mg/m2 weekly X 3, then every 3 weeks). No patients achieved complete response. Among the 28 patients treated with vindesine plus cisplatin, there were 12 partial responders (42.9%); among the 30 patients treated with vindesine plus mitomycin, there were only three partial responders (10%) (P less than 0.005). The median duration of response was 11.5 weeks (range, 4-25) in the patients treated with vindesine plus cisplatin. The median survival times for patients treated with vindesine plus cisplatin and vindesine plus mitomycin were 10.1 and 10.2 months, respectively; there was no statistical difference in survival time between the two groups. Initial performance status was the strong predictor of patient survival. Toxic effects, including moderate myelosuppression, nephrotoxicity, peripheral neuropathy, and gastrointestinal symptoms, were generally manageable. The combination of vindesine and cisplatin appears to be effective against advanced non-small cell lung cancer.