Salvage Chemotherapy with Ccnu and Methotrexate for Small Cell Lung Cancer Resistant to Cav/Pe Alternating Chemotherapy

CCNU and methotrexate were employed as salvage treatment in 34 small cell lung cancer patients resistant to CAV/PE alternating Induction chemotherapy. In the 33 evaluable patients we observed an objective response rate of 21.2 % and 3 % complete response; median survival was 4 months with 2 patients alive 18 months from starting salvage chemotherapy. The treatment was well tolerated. CCNU and methotrexate has shown to be a moderately active and tolerable salvage treatment for small cell lung cancer after CAV/PE alternating first-line chemotherapy.