A phase II study of ifosfamide and a2b-interferon in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

A total of 45 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer were treated with a combination of 1.5 g/m2 ifosfamide given on days 1-5 every 3 weeks for four courses with 3 million IU a2b-interferon (Intron A) given s.c. three times a week for 12 weeks. Nine objective responses were seen, including two complete responses (CRs) and seven partial responses (PRs). Haematological and non-haematological toxicities were generally mild and did not necessitate discontinuation of therapy.

Drug sensitivity of non small cell carcinoma of lung by clonogenic assay in several media.

Lung tumours of non small cell pathology were cultured by clonogenic assay in several media. Culture was successful in spleen conditioned medium, but only 57% grew and low plating efficiencies (PE) meant that only 23% of the original number produced significant drug results. Comparison of rat erythrocyte lysate (REL) medium with serum free defined medium (HITES) and HITES + 10% FBS demonstrated clear enhancement of PE in REL although growth was 100% successful in all these media. Ninety-three percent of samples tested against drugs in REL produced significant results. A later comparison of REL with McCoy's 5A + rbc +/- hydrocortisone produced relatively poor culture success for these 3 media and equivocal growth patterns. Low PE was attributed to age of rats used for rbc. Vindesine and cis-platinum cytotoxicity in spleen conditioned medium were 61% and 15% sensitivity respectively. These do not concur with clinical experience but the figures for overt resistance, at 39% and 69%, correspond with expected non-responders to these regimes. Drug testing in REL produced figures correlating more closely with clinical performance at 45% sensitivity to platinum and 36% of patients sensitive to both drugs, but the vindesine sensitivity at 55% is again discrepant with performance of this drug as a single agent.

Ovarian carcinoma cells in culture: assessment of drug sensitivity by clonogenic assay.

Ovarian tumours were cultured by clonogenic assay and drug sensitivity profiles obtained for cis-platinum, adriamycin and phosphoramide mustard. Results were correlated with clinical outcome. Two hundred samples were received from 106 patients and 115/167 with malignant cytology (69%) were cultured successfully. Drug results were obtained on 71 samples and in untreated patients 60% of samples (48% of patients) were markedly sensitive to cis-platinum and 87% of samples (76% of patients) were sensitive to adriamycin. Eighty-one percent of cases sensitive to adriamycin were also sensitive to cis-platinum. Two of 7 samples were sensitive to phosphoramide mustard; the remainder were resistant. Eighty percent of samples from treated patients were resistant in vitro to drugs already received. Seventy-one samples from 57 patients were suitable for drug study. Forty-eight patients received chemotherapy, but only 23 received the drugs tested. Clinical correlations showed that in vitro sensitivity to cis-platinum and adriamycin was related to a good clinical response. No correlations were observed between cis-platinum and adriamycin resistance in vitro and clinical outcome. Unexpected relationships, however, were observed between cis-platinum resistance and failure to respond to other alkylating agents received singly. No such relationship has been demonstrated for adriamycin.