Treatment of non-small cell lung cancer: new cytostatic agents

The literature on new cytostatic drugs in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and on new methods for administration of established drugs has been reviewed back to 1985. Two well-known cytostatic drugs, ifosfamide and etoposide, have been evaluated in trials using oral administration instead of the usual intravenous route, and a total of 26 new investigative drugs has also been evaluated. Oral administration of etoposide is associated with an accumulated response rate of 17% in four studies using a dose of 50 mg/m2 daily for 2-3 weeks, followed by 1 week's rest. Oral administration of ifosfamide yields an accumulated response rate of 18% when the dose intensity is 7 g or more during a 4-week period. Among the new drugs tested, the most promising seem to be campthothecin-11, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, taxol, fotemustine, and zeniplatin which have all shown response rates above 20% among previously untreated patients. Also, the antimetabolites 10-EDAM and trimetrexate and the platinum analogues carboplatin and (glycolate-0,0) diammine-platinum(II) are of interest, with cumulative response rates above 15% in previously untreated patients.