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Α multicenter phase II study of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in combination with irinotecan as second-line treatment of patients with refractory small-cell lung cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate efficacy and toxicity of a combination of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and irinotecan in patients with refractory small-cell lung cancer.

Patients and methods

Thirty-one patients with early relapse after first-line therapy with cisplatin/etoposide were treated with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin 15 mg/m2 and irinotecan 125 mg/m2 on days 1 and 15. Treatment was repeated every 28 days.

Results

A total of 144 chemotherapy courses were administered. All patients were evaluable for toxicity and twenty-six (84%) for response. Grade 3 neutropenia occurred in two (6.5%) patients and grade 1 thrombocytopenia in one (3.2%). Fatigue was the most frequent grade 3 non-hematologic toxicity and was observed in seven patients (23%). Four (12.9; 95% CI: 1.1–24.7%) patients achieved a partial response, and disease stabilization was observed in additional two (6.5%) patients (Tumor Growth Control: 19.4; 95% CI: 5.5–33.3%). The median TTP was 2.03 months, and the median survival time was 3.16 months.

Conclusions

The combination of pegylated doxorubicin and irinotecan is very well tolerated but with modest activity in patients with refractory SCLC.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partly supported by a research grant from the Cretan Association for Biomedical Research (CABR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece

    Nikolaos Xenidis

  2. Department of Medical Oncology, University General Hospital of Heraklion, 71110, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Nikolaos Vardakis, Emmanouel Kontopodis, Ioannis Gioulbasanis, George Samonis, Kostas Kalbakis & Vassilis Georgoulias

  3. Department of Medical Oncology, “Agios Georgios” General Hospital of Chania, Chania, Creece

    Ioannis Varthalitis

  4. Department of Medical Oncology, “IASO” General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Stylianos Giassas

  5. Department of Medical Oncology, “METAXA” Anticancer Hospital of Piraeus, Piraeus, Greece

    Nikolaos Ziras

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  1. Nikolaos Xenidis
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Correspondence to Vassilis Georgoulias.

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Xenidis, N., Vardakis, N., Varthalitis, I. et al. Α multicenter phase II study of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in combination with irinotecan as second-line treatment of patients with refractory small-cell lung cancer. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 68, 63–68 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-010-1427-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-010-1427-5

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