Pirarubicin in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. A trial of the Phase I/II Study Group of the Association for Medical Oncology of the German Cancer Society.

Forty-seven patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated in a multicentre phase II study with pirarubicin (THP), 4'-O-tetrahydropyranyl-doxorubicin using a dosage of 70 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. The median age of the patients was 59 years (range 45-70) and the performance status grade 0-2 (WHO). Thirty-eight patients had stage IV and 9 stage III (UICC). Twenty-six patients had an adenocarcinoma. 19 a squamous cell carcinoma, and 2 a polymorphocellular carcinoma. Six out of 45 evaluable patients achieved a partial remission leading to an overall response rate of 13%. Eighteen patients showed no change (NC), 12 were progressive (PD), 2 patients had early progression (EP), and 7 patients died during the first course with clinical signs of tumor progression (early death). The median survival time was 4.6 months. Leukocytopenia and thrombocytopenia (WHO grade 4) was experienced in 8.5% and 2.1%, nausea and vomiting (grade 2 and 3) by 32% of the patients. There was no cardiotoxicity or other severe side effects. Pirarubicin has only a moderate antineoplastic activity in patients with advanced NSCLC. Observed response rates are similar to those reported for doxorubicin, but the toxic side effects are milder.