Cisplatin plus epirubicin and etoposide followed by irradiation plus lonidamine in stage III nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Forty-seven patients with stage III nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with the sequential administration of combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, epirubicin and etoposide and of irradiation plus lonidamine. The response rate was 49% after chemotherapy with an improvement of 14% after radiation therapy and lonidamine. The median survival was around 15 months for responders and 9 months for nonresponders. Toxicity was moderate and acceptable. It is concluded that this schedule is active in the treatment of NSCLC.