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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/m and irinotecan 125 mg/m 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-platinum-containing regimens have been proposed as alternatives to platinum-based doublets in the first-line treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, conflicting results about their equivalence have been reported. Methods: We reviewed the records of patients enrolled in randomized controlled first-line trials conducted by the Hellenic Oncology Research Group from February 1997 to September 2006. The outcome of patients treated with first-line non-platinum-based chemotherapy who received platinum-based chemotherapy upon progression (cohort A) or platinum-based first-line chemotherapy followed by non-platinum-containing second-line chemotherapy (cohort B) was retrospectively analyzed. Results: Two-hundred and sixty-seven patients were identified in cohort A, and 123 in cohort B. Median follow-up time was 12.5 and 15.7 months for cohorts A and B. A significantly higher response rate and time to tumor progression (TTP) was recorded for patients treated with platinum-based compared to those receiving non-platinum-based first-line chemotherapy (45.5 vs. 21.3%, p < 0.0001 and 5.8 vs. 3.1 months, p= 0.002, respectively). Platinum-based regimens administered as second-line treatment resulted in a 13.1% response rate. TTP for second-line chemotherapy did not differ significantly between the two cohorts. Median overall survival was 13.3 and 15.7 months for cohorts A and B (p = 0.538). Conclusion: Both sequences resulted in similar efficacy in terms of overall survival. Encouraging median survival was achieved for selected patients with NSCLC who received both first- and second-line chemotherapy. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and the maximum-tolerated doses of the paclitaxel, oxaliplatin (LOHP) and capecitabine combination in patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients and Methods: Patients received escalating doses of paclitaxel (starting dose 100 mg/m2) and LOHP (starting dose 40 mg/m2) on days 1 and 15 and capecitabine (starting dose 800 mg/m2/day) on days 1–7 and 15–21 every 28 days. DLTs were evaluated in the first cycle. Results: Sixteen patients were treated at four dose-escalating levels. Eleven (68.7%) patients had received two or more prior chemotherapy regimens. The DLT level was reached at paclitaxel 110 mg/m2, LOHP 50 mg/m2 and capecitabine 1,000 mg/m2/day. DLTs due to grade 2–3 neutropenia resulted in treatment delays. No febrile neutropenia or treatment-related death occurred. Grade 2–3 neutropenia occurred in 3 (19%) patients each, grade 2–4 fatigue affected 6 (37.5%) patients, and grade 2–3 neurotoxicity was observed in 2 (12.5%) and 1 (6%) patients, respectively. Two partial responses and four disease stabilizations were achieved. Conclusion: The recommended doses for phase II studies are paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 and LOHP 50 mg/m2 on days 1 and 15 and capecitabine 1,000 mg/m2/day on days 1–7 and 15–21 every 4 weeks. This regimen is well tolerated and merits further evaluation. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]