Double-blind levamisole trial in resectable lung cancer.

The third interim analysis of a prospective double-blind placebo-controlled trial with levamisole as an adjunct to surgery in resectable primary lung carcinoma is reported. The data show that a beneficial effect is clearly present in patients who weigh 70 kg or less but not in others; therefore, it would seem advisable to prescribe levamisole at a dosage of 2.5 mg/kg/day. In the adequately dosed patients, an almost complete elimination of distant metastases is found. The levamisole effect also seem more pronounced in patients who have a heavier tumor load at operation. The rationale for starting levamisole before surgery and for continuing thereafter is briefly discussed.