Phase II trial of gallium nitrate, amonafide and teniposide in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. An Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group study (E2588)

Fifty-five patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were entered into this phase II randomized study for evaluating three new agents: gallium nitrate, amonafide and teniposide. The patients had to have ECOG performance status 0 or 1, no prior chemotherapy, and adequate hematological, hepatic and renal functions. Forty-seven patients were eligible and evaluable. Fourteen were randomized to receive gallium nitrate, 18 to amonafide and 15 to teniposide. Seventy-four percent of eligible patients were male. The majority of patients (89%) had an ECOG performance status 1. ECOG grade 4 toxicity occurred twice in patients on gallium nitrate, seven times on amonafide and 18 times on teniposide. The cause of death was attributed to amonafide in one patients (from sepsis) and to teniposide in two patients (due to infection and leukopenia). There was no objective response in all the patients entered. The overall survival times ranged from 2 weeks to 156 weeks with a medium of 23 weeks. There were no survival differences among the three treatment arms. We conclude that gallium nitrate, amonafide and teniposide are inactive in metastatic NSCLC and do not warrant any further testing in this disease.