@article{3137334,
    title = "Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide and irinotecan in
patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer: A phase II study of the
Hellenic Co-operative Oncology Group",
    author = "Pectasides, D. and Samantas, E. and Fountzilas, G. and Briasoulis, E. and and Kosmidis, P. and Skarlos, D. and Dimopoulos, M. A. and Kalofonos, H. and P. and Economopoulos, T. and Syrigos, K.",
    journal = "Translational Lung Cancer Research",
    year = "2007",
    volume = "58",
    number = "3",
    pages = "355-361",
    publisher = "Elsevier Ireland Ltd",
    doi = "10.1016/j.lungcan.2007.06.027",
    keywords = "cisplatin; etoposide; irinotecan; extensive small-cell lung cancer",
    abstract = "Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and
toxicity of cisplatin, etoposide and irinotecan as first-tine treatment
in patients with extensive small-cell lung cancer (E-SCLC).
Patients and methods: Chemo-naive adult patients with a performance
status (PS) of 0-2 and adequate organ function were eligible. Patients
received cisplatin 20 mg/m(2) i.v. daily for three consecutive days,
etoposide 75mg/m(2) i.v. daily for three consecutive days and irinotecan
120mg/m(2) i.v. on day 2, every 21 days for six to eight cycles.
Administration of G-CSF was given in the presence of febrile neutropenia
and as a 5-day prophylaxis around the recorded nadir day in patients who
developed grades 3-4 neutropenia.
Results: Fifty-six patients were assessable. The median age was 62.2
years; 96.4% had PS 0-1, 33.5% had >3 metastatic sites. The overall
response rate was 80.4% with 8 (14.3%) patients achieving a complete
response. The median time to tumor progression was 7.8 months [95% Cl
confidence interval (Cl), 7.1-8.6 months] with a median survival of 15.1
months [95% Cl, 9.7-20.5 months] and 1-year survival rate of 56.5%.
One patient died from toxicity. Grades 3-4 neutropenia occurred in
37.5% of patients, grades 3-4 thrombocytopenia occurred in 10.9% of
patients and 11 (19.6%) patients developed febrile neutropenia. Grades
3-4 non-hematological toxicities were primarily nausea-vomiting 3.6%,
diarrhea 7.1% and fatigue 3.6%.
Conclusion: This study strongly suggests that cisplatin, etoposide and
irinotecan combination is very effective for the treatment of E-SCLC
with good safety profile. The triplet regimen currently seems a
promising regimen and has to be further explored in phase III trials.
(c) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved."
}