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Amrubicin for treating elderly and poor-risk patients with small-cell lung cancer

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International Journal of Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of amrubicin as first-line chemotherapy for elderly and poor-risk patients with extensive-disease small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC).

Methods

Untreated SCLC patients who were >75 years of age or had a performance status of 2 or more were eligible. Amrubicin (35 or 40 mg/m2 on days 1–3 every 3 weeks) was administered.

Results

Between January 2003 and May 2009, 27 patients were evaluated. The median number of treatment cycles was 4 (1–6). Grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicities comprised neutropenia (63%), leukopenia (56%), thrombocytopenia (15%), and anemia (19%). Febrile neutropenia was observed in four (15%) patients. No treatment-related deaths occurred. The nonhematologic toxicities were mild. The overall response rate was 70%. Progression-free survival, median survival time, and the 1-year survival rate were 6.6 months, 9.3 months, and 30%, respectively. The 40 mg/m2 dose was feasible and had a tendency to be more effective than the 35 mg/m2 dose.

Conclusions

Amrubicin exhibits activity and acceptable toxicities for elderly and poor-risk patients with ED-SCLC in the first-line treatment setting.

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Conflict of interest statement

This study has no financial relationship with any commercial entity.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 228-0022, Japan

    Satoshi Igawa, Shinichiro Ryuge, Tomoya Fukui, Sakiko Otani, Yuka Kimura, Ken Katono, Akira Takakura, Masaru Kubota, Hisashi Mitsufuji & Noriyuki Masuda

  2. Department of Clinical Physiology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 228-0022, Japan

    Masato Katagiri

  3. Department of Nursing, Kitasato University, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 228-0022, Japan

    Nobuo Yanase

Authors
  1. Satoshi Igawa
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  2. Shinichiro Ryuge
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  3. Tomoya Fukui
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  4. Sakiko Otani
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  5. Yuka Kimura
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  6. Ken Katono
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  7. Akira Takakura
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  8. Masaru Kubota
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  9. Hisashi Mitsufuji
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  10. Masato Katagiri
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  11. Nobuo Yanase
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  12. Noriyuki Masuda
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoshi Igawa.

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Igawa, S., Ryuge, S., Fukui, T. et al. Amrubicin for treating elderly and poor-risk patients with small-cell lung cancer. Int J Clin Oncol 15, 447–452 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-010-0085-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-010-0085-2

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