Open Label Phase II Study on RFS 2000 (9-Nitro-Camptothecin, 9-NC) Administered as a "5 Days On - 2 Days Off" Oral Treatment in Advanced Small Cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the objective response and duration of objective response in patients with advanced small cell lung cancer treated with nitrocamptothecin.
• Determine the probability of objective response as expressed by the response rate in patients treated with this regimen.
• Determine the toxicities of this regimen in these patients.

OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to disease status (sensitive vs refractory).

Patients receive oral nitrocamptothecin daily for 5 consecutive days each week for 3 weeks. Treatment continues every 3 weeks for a minimum of 2 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients who achieve stable disease (SD) receive up to 4 additional courses past SD. Patients who achieve partial response (PR) or complete response (CR) receive a minimum of 2 additional courses past CR or PR.

Patients are followed every 6 weeks until disease progression or initiation of another antitumor treatment.