1993 Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 95-100
A phase I trial was conducted to study the effect of a prolonged administration of oral etoposide for SCLC. Each of 18 patients entered into this study was either previously treated by standard intensive chemotherapy or could not tolerate it. A modified Fibonacci schedule was used for dose escalation. Sixteen patients were eligible and evaluable. At 50mg/m2/day, 67% and 33% of patients developed neutropenia and anemia of grade 3 or 4, respectively. Moreover, other toxicities were minimal. Therefore, oral etoposide 50mg/m2 for 21 consecutive days was the maximum tolerated dose and myelosuppression was the dose-limiting toxic factor. Pharmacological analysis showed that the mean plasma concentration of etoposide was above 1μg/ml, which was the possible minimal effective concentration, by oral administration of 50mg/body/day and above. The accumulation of etoposide was not observed.
