Evaluation of topotecan monotherapy for relapsed small-cell lung cancer after amrubicin monotherapy failure.

The utility of topotecan monotherapy for relapsed small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) after failure of amrubicin monotherapy has not been evaluated. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of topotecan monotherapy in patients with relapsed SCLC after amrubicin monotherapy. We retrospectively analyzed data from 16 patients with relapsed SCLC who were treated with topotecan monotherapy after amrubicin monotherapy at our hospital. The response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival were 0%, 32.5 days (95% confidence interval [CI] = 18-51), and 112 days (95% CI = 55-267), respectively. The most common adverse events (grade ≥3) were leukopenia (31.3%) and thrombocytopenia (31.3%), followed by anemia, anorexia, edema, and lung infections. The efficacy of topotecan monotherapy for relapsed SCLC after amrubicin monotherapy is inconclusive. Therefore, further studies are warranted.