Cisplatin plus vindesine versus cisplatin plus VP16 versus doxorubicin plus cytoxan in non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung. A randomized study.

From March 1981 to January 1984, 116 patients with advanced non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung (NSCCL) were randomly assigned to 3 combinations as follows: CDDP + DVA, CDDP + VP16 and DXR + CTX. 94 patients were evaluable for response, 106 for toxicity and survival. Of 31 patients, 15 (48%; 3 CRs and 12 PRs) responded to CDDP + DVA; of 33 patients, 12 (36%, 2 CRs and 10 PRs) responded to CDDP + VP16; of 30 patients, 3 (10%) obtained a PR with DXR + CTX (CDDP + DVA vs DXR + CTX, P less than 0.005; CDDP + VP16 vs DXR + CTX, P less than 0.05; CDDP + DVA vs CDDP + VP16, P = NS). The median duration of response was 22 weeks in the CDDP-DVA group, 17 weeks in the CDDP-VP16 group, and 16 weeks in the DXR + CTX group. No significant difference in survival was observed among the 3 groups (median: 43, 47, 41 weeks, respectively). Hematologic and neurologic toxicities were significantly higher in the DVA-containing regimen. Despite the lack of improvement of overall survival with the CDDP-containing combinations over the DXR + CTX control group, the good response rate makes them suitable to be used in combined therapeutic strategies.