Background: The safety and efficacy of combination of platinum agents plus etoposide for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) with pre-existing interstitial lung disease (ILD) is uncertain.
Patients and methods: Fifty-two patients received platinum agents plus etoposide as first-line chemotherapy for SCLC with pre-existing ILD. The clinical characteristics, treatment outcome and survival of these patients were retrospectively reviewed.
Results: During first-line chemotherapy, only one (2%) out of the 52 patients developed an acute exacerbation of ILD. The median number of treatment cycles was four. The overall response rate was 69%. The median progression-free survival period was 4.5 months. The median survival time was 9.4 months. Thirty-three patients (63%) received at least one subsequent chemotherapy regimen, and five of these patients developed acute exacerbation of ILD.
Conclusion: The combination of platinum agents plus etoposide is feasible and effective in SCLC patients with pre-existing ILD, compared with regimens after second-line chemotherapy.