[Combination chemotherapy of primary adenocarcinoma of the lung using adriamycin, ACNU, and vindesine].

Since July 1980, thirty patients with inoperable adenocarcinoma of the lung have been treated with ANV. Induction chemotherapy (Adriamycin 35 mg/m2 i.v. days 1 and 22, ACNU 2 mg/kg i.v. day 1, vindesine 2 mg/m2 i.v. days 1, and 22) was given for 2 courses (or 1 course) at 3-week intervals. Maintenance chemotherapy was performed with reduced doses and elongated intervals. Characteristics of 30 patients were as follows: 13 males and 17 females; mean age 55 (range 32-77); mean PS 1.6, prior chemotherapy 3 cases; tumor involving bone (53%), brain (20%) and cervical node (23%). Of 27 patients who received no prior chemotherapy, 2 patients were unmeasurable because of pleural effusion. After one course of induction chemotherapy, 7 out of 25 patients achieved PR (response rate: 28%), 5 MRS (20%), 10 NCS, and 3 PDS. When patients were divided into the youngers (32-59 years old, mean 47) and the older (60-77 years old, mean 67), the youngers showed apparently higher response rate (6/17, 35%) than the olders (1/8, 13%). When patients were divided into three groups by the grade of cell differentiation, response rates were 0/5 (0%) in the well differentiated group, 2/6 (33%) in the moderately differentiated group, and 5/11 (45%) in the poorly differentiated group. The median survival time for all patients was 9 months; the younger 8 months, the older 9 months, well differentiated 11 months, moderately differentiated 9 months, and poorly differentiated 7 months. Survival time of responders was not significantly (P greater than 0.05) longer than that of non-responders. Toxicities were mild: leucopenia (less than 4,000) found in 85%, thrombocytopenia (less than 100,000) in 8%, anorexia in 54%, nausea and vomiting in 39%, and alopecia in 82%.