Phase II evaluation of bisantrene in patients with advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma

Fourteen patients with measurable non-small cell lung cancer, who had not received prior chemotherapy, were treated with the anthracene derivative bisantrene. Although treatment was well tolerated, no antitumor activity was observed and all but two patients demonstrated disease progression before the third course of chemotherapy. We conclude that bisantrene does not have significant antitumor activity in non-small cell lung cancer.