Multicenter phase 3 trial of irinotecan-cisplatin versus etoposide-cisplatin after resection of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung

The multicenter phase 3 JCOG1205/1206 trial in Japan evaluated adjuvant irinotecan plus cisplatin (IP) compared with etoposide plus cisplatin (EP) after complete resection of pathological stage I-IIIA high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (HGNEC) of the lung. Long-term follow-up results have now been published. The EP arm included 111 patients, and the IP arm included 110 patients. The 3- and 5 year relapse-free survival rates were 68.5% and 65.7% in the EP arm, compared with 71.8% and 65.2% in the IP arm (HR 1.026; 95% CI 0.670-1.569), The 3- and 5- year overall survival rates were 85.6% and 73.5% in the EP arm, compared with 83.6% and 72.4% in the IP arm (HR 1.175; 95% CI 0.742-1.861). The authors conclude that there were no significant differences between EP and IP regarding RFS and OS in patients with complely resected HGNEC.