Topotecan and etoposide as first-line therapy for extensive disease small cell lung cancer: a phase II trial of a platinum-free regimen.

In the treatment of extensive disease of small cell lung cancer (ED SCLC) there is an urgent need for more effective and better-tolerated drug regimens. We report on a prospective phase II trial performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a platinum-free regimen--containing topotecan and etoposide--in the first-line treatment of ED SCLC. Between December 1999 and July 2001, 28 chemotherapy-naive patients with ED SCLC were recruited; 9 patients had stage IIIB disease and 19 patients had stage IV disease.