[Chemotherapy of small cell carcinomas of the lung]

This report gives a comparison of two polychemotherapeutic regimen: Vincristin-Adriamycin-Cyclophosphamide (VAC) versus Vinblastin, Methotrexate, Fluoro Uracil, Cyclophosphamide (Israel-Karrer-Sighart regimen). 35 patients have been treated with VAC, 27 with IKS, some of them received additional irradiation. Response was quite similar in both regimens, survival was significantly increased for patients treated with VAC (49 weeks medial survival time versus 31 weeks). Best results were obtained in combination with intermittent radiotherapy (so called "sandwich-method"), survival time in this treatment had been 73 weeks. Side effects of the chemotherapy were tolerable and not severe. VAC in extensive disease alone and in limited disease in addition to radiotherapy can, therefore, be recommended in outdoor-patients treatment in small cell carcinoma of the lung.