[Preliminary report on the effect of etoposide or etoposide and CDDP on recurrent prostate cancer].

Eight patients with recurrent prostate cancer were treated with Etoposide and CDDP or Etoposide alone. Etoposide was administered at a dose of 20 approximately 50 mg/m2/day for 5 consecutive days and CDDP was administered at a dose of 30 approximately 50 mg/m2 on the first day. Treatment was repeated every 3 or 4 weeks. Patients who were treated with combination chemotherapy (Etoposide + CDDP) were those with no hematological abnormalities, no renal dysfunction and good performance status. Three patients were treated with Etoposide and CDDP and five were treated with Etoposide alone. Clinical evaluation was as follows: 3 patients (2 with Etoposide and CDDP, 1 with Etoposide alone) had PR (37.5%) and 5 patients had PD (62.5%). We obtained the impression that lesions of soft tissue metastasis responded well to this chemotherapy and that this combination chemotherapy was more effective than Etoposide alone. Major complications were myelosuppression, gastrointestinal upset and loss of hair. However, they were tolerable in patients with good performance status. This combination chemotherapy (Etoposide + CDDP) seems to be worth further clinical trials to patients who were tolerable.