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Sixteen patients, 13 of whom had received prior chemotherapy, were treated with vindesine for advanced malignant melanoma. Previous treatment included vinca alkaloids in six. Thirteen patients received vindesine, 4 mg/m2 and three received vindesine, 3 mg/m2 by weekly I.V. injection. There were two partial (12%) and no complete responses among all of the patients. Both responses occurred in subcutaneous lesions and lasted for 4 and 6 weeks, respectively. Fifteen patients could be evaluated for treatment-related toxicity. The most common side effect was modest leukopenia (less than 3000/microliter) in 10 patients (67%). The lowest leukocyte count recorded was 1100/microliter. Thrombocytopenia was not encountered. Neurotoxicity, manifest most commonly as mild or moderate peripheral paresthesiae, was seen in eight patients (53%).

Twenty-seven patients with advanced bronchogenic carcinoma were treated with vindesine, 3 mg/m2/week. Twenty-three patients were evaluable for response. Two of six patients with small-cell carcinoma and one of 17 patients with non-small-cell carcinoma had partial responses. Two other patients with non-small-cell carcinoma had minor responses. The duration of the responses was 2-4 months. Neurologic toxicity occurred in 14 patients and was mild except in two patients. There was a median hemoglobin fall of 2.2 g/dl and a median leukocyte nadir of 2800/microliter during vindesine therapy. Thrombocytopenia occurred in 2 patients and mild thrombocytosis occurred in 10 patients. Seven patients experienced phlebitis or cellulitis at the site of drug administration which could be prevented with small doses of intravenous methylprednisolone. These results suggest that vindesine is well tolerated and possesses some activity in patients with previously treated bronchogenic carcinoma.