A randomized phase II study of m-AMSA (NSC 249992) and neocarzinostatin (NSC 157365) in non-small cell bronchogenic...

Eighty-nine patients with advanced non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma were treated with either m-AMSA 120 mg/m2 intravenously every 3 weeks or neocarzinostatin 2.0 mg/m2 intravenously daily X 5 every 4 weeks. There were no responses in 40 evaluable patients who received m-AMSA and three partial responses (7.5%) in 40 patients who received neocarzinostatin. Two patients receiving m-AMSA had drug-related deaths. For m-AMSA the major toxicities were hematologic, while for neocarzinostatin the major toxicities were hematologic, gastrointestinal, and fever. We conclude that m-AMSA is inactive while neocarzinostatin has minimal activity in non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma.