PEI REGIMEN: A Therapeutic Option in Small Cell Lung Cancer? A Monoinstitutional Experience of 46 Consecutive Cases

ABSTRACT Objectives Combination chemotherapy is very active in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), although no improvement in overall survival (OS) has been done in the last 25 years , with Cisplatin-Etoposide (PE) still considered the world-wide standard, with an average median survival of about 7-8 months in patients with extended disease (ED).

In 1995, a randomized trial of the Hoosier Group in 171 ED patients showed a significant advantage in overall survival in patients treated with PEI (Cisplatin, Etoposide and Ifosfamide), compared to PE. Despite that, PEI regimen has not become a commonly used regimen in SCLC.

Materials and Methods Here we present a series of 46 consecutive patients (30 males and 16 females) with SCLC that were treated at our Institution with PEI regimen: Cisplatin 20mg/m2, Etoposide 75mg/m2 and Ifosfamide 1200mg/m2, day 1 to 4, every 3 weeks.

Patients received a total of 219 cycles of chemotherapy, with a mean of 4,7 cycles per patient. Median age was 63 (range 59-70); performance status (PS) was 0 in 29 patients (63%), 1 in 13 patients (28%) and 2 in 4 patients (9%).