Response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS) and survival in randomised trials with salvage chemotherapy for relapsing small cell lung cancer
| First author [ref.] | Regimen | RR % | PFS | MST | 6-month survival % | 1-year survival % |
| Von Pawel [8] | VAC | 18 | 12.3 weeks | 25 weeks | 45 | 14.4 |
| Topotecan | 24 | 13.3 weeks | 25 weeks | 47 | 14.2 | |
| O’Brien [4] | Topotecan | 7 | 16.3 weeks | 25.9 weeks | 49 | |
| BSC | 13.9 weeks | 26 | ||||
| Eckardt [9] | Topotecan oral | 18 | 11.9 weeks | 33 weeks | 32.6 | |
| Topotecan IV | 22 | 14.6 weeks | 35 weeks | 29.2 | ||
| Inoue [27] | Amrubicin | 38 | 3.5 months | 8.1 months | ||
| Topotecan | 13 | 2.2 months | 8.4 months | |||
| Jotte [28] | Amrubicin | 44 | 4.5 months | 9.2 months | 60 | 36 |
| Topotecan | 15 | 3.3 months | 7.6 months | 54 | 33 | |
| Present study | VAC-VA | 20 | 2.6 months | 5.3 months | 50 | 6 |
MST: median survival time; VAC: doxorubicin, vindesine and cyclophosphamide; BSC: best supportive care; VA: valproic acid.