Cisplatin-vinorelbine combination chemotherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

AIM: The North Milan Group presents the results of a phase II study on a cisplatin-vinorelbine combination schedule in the treatment of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer to evaluate its activity and tolerability. METHODS: Seventy-six consecutive patients entered the study. Patients' characteristics were the following: males/females 69/7; median age, 61.4 years (range, 40-73); ECOG performance status, 0-1; 17 stage IIIa and 59 stage IIIb. There were 49 squamous cell carcinomas, 20 adenocarcinomas, and 7 large cell carcinomas. All patients had not been previously treated and showed measureable disease. Treatment consisted of vinorelbine, 25 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, plus cisplatin, 80 mg/m2 on day 1, administered intravenously every 21 days for three standard courses. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients were evaluable for response. Objective responses were documented in 42/74 patients with an overall response rate (CR+PR) of 56.7%; 18/74 patients (24.3%) showed stable disease and the remaining 14/74 (18.9%) went into progression. Twelve patients (16.2%) were suitable for a subsequent surgery. The median duration of response was 13.3 months. Survival time ranged from 4 to 36 months; it was 14.6 months for PR patients, 8.6 months for NC and 5 months for PD. Mean survival time is presently 12.85 months (SE, 1.2 months). Toxicity evaluated on 222 cycles administered was acceptable, and it was necessary to use G-CSF or delay the treatment because of severe leukopenia in only a few cases. CONCLUSIONS: The regimen is active and safe: the slight survival increase is likely due to the small amenability to surgery achieved (16.2%). However, our results are fully comparable to others obtained with vinorelbine in two/three drug combination chemotherapy regimens.

Effectiveness of ibopamine in the management of ascitic liver cirrhosis--a controlled study v placebo and frusemide.

1 Thirty in-patients of both sexes suffering from ascitic liver cirrhosis were divided into three groups treated with (a) a placebo, (b) ibopamine (SB 7505, a new oral dopaminergic drug) and (c) frusemide, for 10 days. 2 Body weight decreased with both frusemide and ibopamine, diuresis and urinary excretion of Na+ and Cl- increased with both drugs; whereas urinary excretion of K+ increased only with frusemide. 3 An important difference between the frusemide and ibopamine treatment was encountered in creatinine clearance, which increased only with ibopamine, and in blood uric acid which increased only with frusemide. 4 The antidiuretic hormone (ADH) in the plasma of cirrhotic patients was lower than the sensitivity limit of the radioimmunoassay method, whereas in a group of healthy subjects it could be clearly measured. 5 The treatments did not affect systolic or diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, or a series of haematochemical parameters. 6 The increase in diuresis and creatinine clearance and the very good tolerability encountered with ibopamine highlight this new oral dopamine agonist as a useful drug in the management of liver cirrhosis.