A combination chemotherapy consisting of vincristine, etoposide and cyclophosphamide (VEC) for small cell carcinoma of the lung

Twenty-nine patients with small cell carcinoma of the lung were treated with a combination therapy consisting of vincristine 1 mg/m2 i.v. day 1, etoposide 200 mg/body p.o day 1-5 and cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 i.v. day 1 (VEC) in 3 week interval. After 2 courses of VEC, four out of 10 patients with limited disease (LD) showed a complete response (CR), while 7 out of 19 patients with extensive disease (ED) obtained a CR. Six patients with LD and 6 patients with ED received subsequent radiotherapy to primary tumors and to regional lymph nodes, and 5 with LD and 3 with ED attained a CR. Overall complete response was observed in 9 patients (90%) in LD and 10 patients (53%) in ED. The median duration of survival was 17 months in complete responders with LD and that was 12 months in those with ED. Dose limiting toxicity of the VEC regimen was leukopenia which occurred in most patients and thrombocytopenia was less frequent. Non-hematologic toxicities containing alopecia, numbness, nausea and others were acceptable and well tolerated.