VP 16-213 (VP16) AND CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE IN THE TREATMENT OF PRIMITIVE LUNG-CANCER IN PHASE-M-1

Patients (60) suffering from primitive lung cancer in Phase M 1 were included in 2 successive chemotherapy protocols, 30 patients to a group. The first of these (an attempt at cellular synchronization by combining VCR[vincristine]-cyclophosphamide-prednisone) is used as a historical group as compared to the 2nd. In the 2nd protocol the combination of VP 16-213 [4''-demethylepipodophyllotoxin-.beta.-D-ethylidene] (100 mg/m2, po [orally] day .times. 5 days) and cyclophosphamide (100 mg/m2, e.v. [extravascular], day .times. 5 days) was attempted. The positive results obtained (more than 60% of the responses were above 50%) together with low toxicity was not accompanied by improvement of survival with respect to that observed in international medical literature. On the other hand, the number of cases studied.sbd.30 patients.sbd.was too low to permit a better evaluation of the results. Despite this fact, it seems appropriate to continue clinical investigation of the VP 16-213-cyclophosphamide combination in lung cancer.