Aphase IIstudy oforal etoposide inelderly patients withsmall cell lung cancer

Thirty five previously untreated patients withsmall cell lung cancerolder than70years, weretreated with oral etoposide (800 mg/m2 overfive consecutive days) everyfour weeks. Twenty two patients hadextensive disease and13limited disease. Theoverall responserate was71%.Themedian survival forpatients withlimited diseases was 16(range 6-32) monthsandforpatients withextensive disease nine (range 4-17) months. There wasmildhaematological toxicity andalopecia butnomajor toxicity. Itisconcluded that etoposide inthis doseregimen isaneffective andwell tolerated treatment forelderly patients withsmall cell lung cancer.