Objective  To compare the therapeutic efficacy and the adverse effects of a regimen with etoposide and cisplatin and a therapy of etoposide and nadaplatin in treating small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

  Methods  Data from May 2009 to November 2011 of 42 SCLC patients receiving initial treatment were collected. All participants in this study were admitted in The Third School of Clinical Medicine and Gezhouba Central Hospital, Three Gorges University, Yichang. The cases were randomly grouped based on odd and even numbers. The doses administered to 21 cases (G1) for the treatment group were as follows: 80 mg/m² nedaplatin, iv dl and 100 mg/m² etoposide, dl. In the control group composed of another 21 cases (G2), after calculating the volume dose of 80 mg/m² cisplatin, an average distribution of the intravenous drip was given for three consecutive days, with hydration diuresis and 100 mg/m² etoposide iv gtt dl-d3. Among the patients in the two groups, a comparison was conducted on the short-term curative effect, progression-free survival, one-year survival rate, and untoward effects.

  Results   The overall response rate was 74.2% and 72.2% in G1 and G2, respectively. No statistical significance was observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). The median of the progression-free survival rate was 7.6 and 9.3 months, whereas the one-year survival rate was 64.5% and 61.7% in G1 and G2, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). The main toxic effects observed among the groups were bone marrow inhibition and gastrointestinal reaction, where the incidence rate for the decrease of white blood cells was 66.7% and 61.1%, respectively, without significant difference (P > 0.05). The incidence rate of thrombocytopenia was higher in G1 than in G2, with significant differences (42.9% vs. 27.8%, P < 0.05). In addition, the incidence rate of nausea and vomiting was significantly lower in G 1 than in G2 (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  The regimen of Nadaplatinum joint with etoposidein initially treating SCLC patients has a definite short-term effect. The adverse reaction is tolerable during the treatment, whereas thetherapeutic efficacy is similar to the scheme of cisplatin combined with etoposide with predominance in restraining adverse reactions to someextent.