A phase I study of 3-day topotecan and cisplatin in elderly patients with small-cell lung cancer
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Intratumoral Injection of Cisplatin for the Treatment of Isolated Mediastinal Recurrence of Lung Cancer
Published on: February 12, 2017
Keiichi Fujiwara1, Hiroshi Ueoka, Katsuyuki Kiura
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Hospital Organization Okayama Medical Center, 1711-1 Tamasu, Okayama 701-1192, Japan. keiichi@okayama3.hosp.go.jp
Purpose:
The aim of this phase I study was to determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) in elderly patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).
Patients And Methods:
Patients aged over 75 years with previously untreated SCLC were enrolled in this study. Both topotecan and cisplatin were administered on days 1-3 and repeated every 3 weeks. The starting dose of topotecan was 0.5 mg/m2/day, while cisplatin was fixed at the dose of 20 mg/m2/day. Patients with limited disease (LD) SCLC received thoracic irradiation after the completion of chemotherapy.
Results:
Twenty-one elderly patients were enrolled in this study and received a total of 59 cycles. The major hematological toxicity was neutropenia and non-hematological toxicities including diarrhea were generally mild and reversible. The MTD of topotecan was determined as 1.2 mg/m2/day. The recommended phase II study dose of topotecan was determined as 1.0 mg/m2/day with cisplatin 20 mg/m2/day daily for 3 days. An objective response was observed in 6 of 10 patients (60%) with LD-SCLC and 6 of 11 (55%) with extensive disease (ED) SCLC. The median survival time in patients with LD-SCLC and those with ED-SCLC were 16.0 and 11.0 months, respectively.
Conclusion:
The combination chemotherapy of 3-day topotecan and cisplatin appears to be tolerable and effective in elderly patients with SCLC.
