Basis for experimental chemotherapy in lung cancer

The in vitro chemotherapy sensitivity of five well-characterized lung cancer cell lines (two small cell and three non-small cell) was evaluated with six single agents (mitomycin C, vincristine, cisplatin, thiotepa, vinblastine, and etoposide [VP-16]) and two combination regimens (cisplatin plus mitomycin C and cisplatin plus etoposide [VP-16]). The results correlated closely with the clinical responsiveness of these tumor types. The small cell lung cancer (SCLC) lines were generally more sensitive than the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lines to vincristine, thiotepa, and etoposide (VP-16). Vinblastine was significantly less active than vincristine in SCLC lines and more active than vincristine in NSCLC lines. The two combinations that were tested demonstrated additive cytotoxicity. The data support the use of these cell lines for the selection of new anticancer agents and for the development of new treatment strategies.