The objective responses of cisplatin and etoposide (PVP) combination chemotherapy as second-line therapy following CAV was high (40~50%) and, in several reports, PVP yields survival results that are at least as good as those obtained with cyclophosphamide or doxorubicin-based regimens and with less host-related toxicity in chemotherapy-naive patients.

We conducted a phase II study to evaluate the effect of a combination of cisplatin and etoposide as a first-line therapy in patients with small cell lung cancer.

Sixty-one previously untreated small cell lung cancer patients with measurable lesion(s) received cisplatin(30 mg/m² IV, day 1~3) and etoposide(100 mg/m² IV, day 1~3). In patients with limited disease, after completion of 6 cycles of PVP chemotherapy, chest and prophylatic brain irradiation was performed in case of complete responder, chest irradiation only in partial responder.

1) Of 55 evaluable patients, 13(24%) had a complete response and 29(53%) had a partial response.

2) The median survival time was 55.8 weeks for all patients(N=55), 61.1 weeks for limited disease(N=31), 51.3 weeks for extensive disease(N=24).

3) The response duration was 29.1 weeks for responders(N=42).

4) There was no significant prognostic factors iufluencing response rates.

5) The toxicity was tolerable and there was no treatment-related deaths.

The PVP combination chemotherapy as a first-line therapy was effective and well-tolerated in patients with small cell lung cancer.