[Cisplatin and vinca alkaloid combination chemotherapy of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in the aged].

Fifteen patients aged over 65 years of age with advanced non-small-cl lung cancer (mean age = 70.7, stage IIIb: IV = 4:11) were treated with combination chemotherapy consisting of Cisplatin (50 or 80 mg/m2) and a vinca-alkaloid (Vindesine 3 mg/m2 or Etoposide 80 mg/m2). The effectiveness and side effects of this cisplatin therapy in different combinations of vinca-alkaloid regimens (Vindesine vs Etoposide) were examined. The mean dose of Cisplatin in the Etoposide combination group (75.2 mg/m2) was significantly higher than that in the Vindesine combination group (54.3 mg/m2) (p less than 0.01). A notable reduction the tumor size was observed in 25% of the Etoposide group, only. The 6-month survival rate and one-year survival rate were respectively 85.7%, 57.1% in the Vindesine + Cisplatin group, and 87.5%, 50% in the Etoposide + Cisplatin group. The common side effects were nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and alopecia. These symptoms were either alleviated by antiemetic drugs or followed by spontaneous recovery. Leucopenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia were found in both groups, and there was no difference in the time course of myelosuppression between the two groups. The extent of nephrotoxicity was assessed by creatinine clearance rate. Its decrease in the Vindesine group (60.1----38.9 ml/min) was higher than that in the Etoposide group (64.9----48.9 ml/min), while there was no significant change in BUN, serum creatinine and urine NAG between the two groups. There were no cases in which chemotherapy schedules had to be interrupted due to myelosuppression and nephrotoxicity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)