Camptothecin and taxane regimens for small-cell lung cancer.

For more than 2 decades, combination chemotherapy has been the standard treatment for patients with small-cell lung cancer. Despite high initial response rates in both extensive- and limited-stage disease, long-term survival rates are only 10% to 20%. Camptothecins and taxanes are newer classes of agents that have shown significant activity against small-cell lung cancer. Their incorporation into chemotherapy regimens for small-cell lung cancer is being actively studied. In one randomized multicenter study, patients with advanced small-cell lung cancer treated with irinotecan (CPT-11, Camptosar) and cisplatin had a better survival time than patients receiving standard therapy. The combination of taxanes and irinotecan holds promise as an active regimen that may be tolerated better than cisplatin and irinotecan.