Pei regimen: A therapeutic option in small cell lung cancer? A retrospective monoinstitutional analysis of 46 consecutive cases

Abstract

Objectives: Combination chemotherapy is very active in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), although no improvement in overall survival (OS) has been done in the last 25 years, with Cisplatin-Etoposide (PE) still considered the world-wide standard, with an average median survival of about 7-8 months in patients with extended disease (ED). Materials and methods: Here we present a retrospective analysis of 46 consecutive patients (30 males and 16 females) with SCLC that were treated at our Institution with PEI regimen: Cisplatin 20 mg/m2, Etoposide 75 mg/m2 and Ifosfamide 1200 mg/m2, day 1 to 4, every 3 weeks. Results: In 19 limited disease (LD) patients partial response (PR) rate was 74%, and complete response (CR) was 16%. In 27 ED patients we observed 63% of PR and 26% of CR. Conclusions: PEI regimen, in our opinion, may be a possible therapeutic option, with high activity and an acceptable toxicity profile.