EFFICACY AND ADVERSE REACTIONS OF ETOPOSIDE COMBINED WITH CISPLATIN AND IRINOTECAN COMBINED WITH CISPLATIN IN STABLE PATIENTS WITH SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

Tingting Shao, Wanzhen Zheng, Jiyuan Ding, Liujie Gao^*

Department of Traditional Chinese Comprehensive Medical Oncology, Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, PR China

Objective: To explore the efficacy and adverse reactions when etoposide is combined with cisplatin and irinotecan is combined with cisplatin in treating stable patients with small cell lung cancer. 

Methods: A total of 78 patients with small cell lung cancer who were admitted to our hospital from October 2016 to December 2017 were analysed retrospectively. According to their different treatment methods, the patients were divided into a group that received etoposide combined with cisplatin (EP) and a group that received irinotecan combined with cisplatin (IP). The EP group comprised 41 patients, and 37 patients were in the IP group. The short-term efficacy and PFS as well as incidence, reduction and delay of side effects were analysed. 

Results: The objective remission rate was 82.93% in the EP group and 83.78% in the IP group, meaning no significant difference in remission was evident between the two groups (P>0.05). The median PFS was 5.6 months in the EP group and 6.1 months in the IP group, implying no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The leucopoenia rate of grade III-IV in the EP group was 36.59%, and that of grade III-IV in the IP group was 10.81%, showing a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). No significant difference between the two groups was noted in terms of degree I-II leucopoenia, degree I-II anaemia, degree III-IV anaemia, degree I-II thrombocytopenia or degree III-IV thrombocytopenia (P>0.05). The percentages of reduction and delay of side effects in the EP group were 19.51% and 21.95%, respectively, while in the IP group the figures were 2.70% and 5.41%, respectively (P<0.05). 

Conclusion: Etoposide combined with cisplatin and irinotecan combined with cisplatin can be used as the first-line chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer patients. However, the occurrence of side effects when irinotecan is combined with cisplatin in the treatment of small cell lung cancer is slightly lower, and the reduction and delay caused by the side effects are less.