Lung cancer : journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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Paclitaxel (Taxol), the prototype of a new class of plant-derived antineoplastic compounds, is a natural product isolated from the Pacific yew. Docetaxel (Taxotere) is a hemisynthetic product derived from the European yew. These agents share a unique mechanism of cytotoxic action by promoting assembly of microtubules and rendering the microtubules resistant to depolymerization. ⋯ Combination studies with cisplatin and other agents are in progress. Paclitaxel and docetaxel are among the most active chemotherapeutic agents for non-small cell lung cancer patients. Their testing will dominate trials of new therapies in this disease for years to come.
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Camptothecin is a natural product derived from the Oriental tree Camptotheca acuminata which has shown activity in a number of experimental tumors. Its clinical development was halted in the early-70s owing to its unpredictable and formidable toxicities. Two water-soluble camptothecin analogs have been synthesized recently and are currently in clinical trials: topotecan and CPT-11. ⋯ Similar studies are in progress with topotecan. The same Japanese group has completed Phase I-II studies on the combination of CPT-11 with cisplatin. The optimal dose of CPT-11, which can be safely combined with cisplatin 80 mg/m2, was found to be 60 mg/m2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)