Cisplatin, etoposide, and vincristine combination chemotherapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Thirty patients with previously untreated, inoperable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with cisplatin, etoposide and vincristine. Among twenty-nine evaluable patients, eight patients achieved partial response and the overall response rate was 28%. No patient achieved a complete response. The median survival time was 51 weeks. Myelosuppression was the dose-limiting toxicity. Four patients had a leukocyte nadir of less than 1000/mm3, and one died from severe myelosuppression and sepsis. The other toxicities were nausea/vomiting, peripheral neuropathy, and alopecia. We conclude that cisplatin, etoposide, and vincristine combination chemotherapy offers moderate activity for inoperable non-small cell lung cancer.