[Etoposide in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer]

Etoposide is one of the most active agents for small-cell lung cancer. It is usually administered intravenously over 3 to 5 consecutive days in combination with cisplatin, carboplatin, cyclophosphamide, or adriamycin. Recently, chronic daily administration of low dose oral etoposide and very high dose intravenous administration with autologous blood stem cell transplantation have been tried to improve treatment outcome. However, the standard dose, schedule, or route of etoposide administration have not been established. In this paper, the clinical efficacy and adverse effects of etoposide in the treatment of small-cell lung cancer are reviewed.