Search

Twenty-three patients with inoperable non-small cell lung cancer were treated with a combination chemotherapy of CDDP 100 mg/m2, ADM 30 mg/m2 and MMC 8 mg/m2 (PAM). Ten cases were adenocarcinoma, 9 cases were squamous cell carcinoma and 4 cases were large cell carcinoma. In 21 evaluable cases, partial response was obtained in 47.6%. (The response rates were 40.0% in patients with adenocarcinoma, 50.0% in those with squamous cell carcinoma and 66.7% in those with large cell carcinoma.) Leukocytopenia of less than 4,000/mm3 occurred in 100% of cases, thrombocytopenia of less than 100,000/mm3 occurred in 81.0%, and anemia(fall in hemoglobin over 2.0 g/dl) occurred in 66.7%. A transient elevation of Cr (over 1.5 mg/dl) and/or BUN (over 30 mg/dl) was observed in 23.8%. Nausea and vomiting occurred in almost all patients. No death occurred due to toxicity of PAM. These results demonstrate that PAM is an effective combination chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell carcinoma of the lung.

In order to examine the clinical efficacy of cepharanthin (Ceph.) for preventing leukopenia caused by chemotherapy in lung cancer patients, a randomized trial was carried out. Subjects were 45 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving initial treatment with cisplatin (CDDP) +adriamycin (ADM) +mitomycin C (MMC). Ceph. was given at a dose of 1 mg/kg to the administration group (Ceph. group) and changes in the peripheral leukocyte count were examined in both the Ceph. and non-Ceph. groups. The Ceph. group showed a reduction in the number of cases with a count nadir less than 3,000/microliters (p less than 0.05), a shortening of the time that leukocyte counts stayed under 2,000/microliters, corresponding to the time in which granulocyte counts were less than 500/microliters (p less than 0.05), and also a reduction of the time for leukocyte counts to recover from nadir to 2,000 or 3,000/microliters (p less than 0.05) measured from the commencement of chemotherapy. These results suggest that administration of Ceph. has an antileukopenic effect in anticancer treatment, and makes it possible to reduce the period of risk for infection, allowing effective regimens to be administered repeatedly in shorter intervals.

An asymptomatic 84-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for a further examination of an abnormal shadow in the right lower lung (S9) on chest X-ray film. Sputum and specimens of transbronchial brushing showed cytological characteristics of well differentiated adenocarcinoma. Considering his age, his family did not agree to any surgical operation, irradiation or intensive chemotherapy. Therefore, using PSK: 3.0 g/day, immunotherapy was started on October 26, 1984. However, the abnormal density continued to increase in size and was observed radiographically to infiltrate to the neighboring segment (S6) over the following four months. From March 1985, the tumor regressed gradually and had almost disappeared on chest X-ray films by December 1985. Since then, this remission has been maintained by administration of PSK alone (3.0 g/day).