Phase II double-blind randomized study of lonidamine and radiotherapy in epidermoid carcinoma of the lung

Patients with non metastatic squamous cell lung cancer were treated with radiotherapy (RT) plus lonidamine (LND) or placebo (PLAC), according to a randomized double-blind study design. Treatment with lonidamine 150 mg t.i.d. (27 patients) or placebo (23 patients) started 3 days before RT, lasted up to 7 months. Partial responses were observed in 14 and 6 patients respectively in the LND + RT and PLAC + RT groups. Statistical analysis of the survival curves showed no significant difference between the LND + RT (median 311 days) and PLAC + RT (median 193 days) groups. Stage III patients survived significantly longer (p less than 0.05) when treated with LND + RT (median 318 days) than with PLAC + RT (median 163 days). No synergistic toxic effects between radiation and LND were noted. To confirm these data a new and larger multicentric study is now in progress.