[Cisplatin, vindesine and VP 16-213 in the treatment of inoperable non-small cell bronchial carcinoma. A clinical phase II study].

In the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer a drug-combination of cis-platinum, vindesine and VP-16 seemed logical because the drugs were non cross-resistant and there would be an additive effectiveness with acceptable toxicity. That was the basis for a phase-II trial started in July 1981 in which 60 patients with untreated non-small-cell lung cancer were entered until November 1982. There were 51 male and 9 female evaluable. The performance status of all patients was over 70%. Over 65% had extensive disease. The most frequent histology was squamous cell carcinoma that we found in 45% of our patients with bronchial carcinomas. Only 14 patients had large cell carcinomas and only 8 patients adenocarcinomas. 40% was the objective remission rate (5% complete remissions and 35% partial remissions). 9 patients (=15%) had a minor response; in 18 patients (=30%) there was no change, 9 patients showed progressive disease. The median survival time of responders is presently 14.9 months, which is significantly higher than the 9.1 months of non-responders. The toxicity of the triple-drug-combination was tolerable. The greatest problem was gastrointestinal toxicity with nausea and vomiting. The hematological toxicity was not as severe as expected. The renal toxicity was not a problem. We did not see drug related deaths.