Aggressive chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation in small cell lung carcinoma

16 patients with an advanced stage SCLC were treated with the use of aggressive chemotherapy with bone marrow transplantation. With the gaining of experience the doses have been increased from standard-dose induction and 7 g/m2 of CTX in intensification to more aggressive induction (160 mg/kg of bw of CTX and 1.6 g/m2 VP-16 in two courses in 28 days interval) and intensification (CTX 7 g/m2 and VP-16 from 1.5 to 2.0 g/m2. Most recently, we used the following intensification which, in addition to the high dose CTX (6 g/m2), consisted of VP-16 0.9 g/m2 and BCNU 0.5 g/m2. The procedure proved to be safe. Hematological recovery emerged in all patients at a very similar time after autografting, irrespective to the late intensification regime. All cases, except one, received, after the hematological recovery, prophylactic cranial and at the primary tumor site irradiation as well as 2 to 4 courses of standard dose maintenance chemotherapy. The response rate was higher in the group receiving more aggressive induction and intensification. Long-term survival was seen only in patient which received more aggressive induction and intensification. Median survival of all cases was 13 months including 3 cases which are disease-free 24, 21 and 14 months after the beginning of the treatment.