RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as paclitaxel, work in different ways to stop
tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Some tumors become resistant to
chemotherapy drugs. Giving interferon alfa and isotretinoin together with paclitaxel may
reduce resistance to the drug and allow the tumor cells to be killed.
PURPOSE: This phase II trial is studying how well giving interferon alfa and isotretinoin
together with paclitaxel works in treating patients with recurrent small cell lung cancer.
- Determine the frequency and duration of response in patients with recurrent small cell
lung cancer treated with interferon alfa, isotretinoin, and paclitaxel.
- Correlate the levels of bcl-2 in peripheral blood monocytes with response and survival
in patients treated with this regimen.
OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study.
Patients receive interferon alfa subcutaneously and oral isotretinoin on days 1 and 2 and
paclitaxel IV over 1 hour on day 2 of weeks 1-6. Courses repeat every 8 weeks in the absence
of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.
Patients are followed every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 1 year.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 37-83 patients will be accrued for this study.
Minimum age: 18 Years.
Maximum age: N/A.
Gender(s): Both.
Veterans Affairs Medical Center - Atlanta (Decatur), Decatur, Georgia 30033, United States
Rush-Copley Cancer Care Center, Aurora, Illinois 60507, United States
Hinsdale Hematology Oncology Associates, Hinsdale, Illinois 60521, United States
Joliet Oncology-Hematology Associates, Limited - West, Joliet, Illinois 60435, United States
Swedish-American Regional Cancer Center, Rockford, Illinois 61104-2315, United States
Carle Cancer Center at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
CCOP - Carle Cancer Center, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
Elkhart General Hospital, Elkhart, Indiana 46515, United States
Howard Community Hospital, Kokomo, Indiana 46904, United States
Center for Cancer Therapy at LaPorte Hospital and Health Services, La Porte, Indiana 46350, United States
Saint Anthony Memorial Health Centers, Michigan City, Indiana 46360, United States
CCOP - Northern Indiana CR Consortium, South Bend, Indiana 46601, United States
Memorial Hospital of South Bend, South Bend, Indiana 46601, United States
Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, South Bend, Indiana 46617, United States
CCOP - Iowa Oncology Research Association, Des Moines, Iowa 50309, United States
John Stoddard Cancer Center at Iowa Lutheran Hospital, Des Moines, Iowa 50316, United States
John Stoddard Cancer Center at Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Des Moines, Iowa 50309, United States
Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates at John Stoddard Cancer Center, Des Moines, Iowa 50309, United States
Medical Oncology and Hematology Associates at Mercy Cancer Center, Des Moines, Iowa 50314, United States
Mercy Cancer Center at Mercy Medical Center - Des Moines, Des Moines, Iowa 50314, United States
Mercy Capitol Hospital, Des Moines, Iowa 50307, United States
McCreery Cancer Center at Ottumwa Regional, Ottumwa, Iowa 52501, United States
Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49001, United States
Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007, United States
West Michigan Cancer Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007-3731, United States
Lakeland Regional Cancer Care Center - St. Joseph, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085, United States
CCOP - Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota 55805, United States
Duluth Clinic Cancer Center - Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota 55805-1983, United States
Miller - Dwan Medical Center, Duluth, Minnesota 55805, United States
Hutchinson Area Health Care, Hutchinson, Minnesota 55350, United States
Meeker County Memorial Hospital, Lichfield, Minnesota 55355, United States
HealthEast Cancer Care at St. John's Hospital, Maplewood, Minnesota 55109, United States
Hennepin County Medical Center - Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415, United States
Virginia Piper Cancer Institute at Abbott - Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55407, United States
St. Francis Cancer Center at St. Francis Medical Center, Shakopee, Minnesota 55379, United States
HealthEast Cancer Care at St. Joseph's Hospital, St Paul, Minnesota 55102, United States
Regions Hospital Cancer Care Center, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101, United States
HealthEast Cancer Care at Woodwinds Health Campus, Woodbury, Minnesota 55125, United States
Cancer Resource Center - Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68510, United States
CCOP - Missouri Valley Cancer Consortium, Omaha, Nebraska 68106, United States
CCOP - Nevada Cancer Research Foundation, Las Vegas, Nevada 89106, United States
University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102, United States
Hunterdon Regional Cancer Center at Hunterdon Medical Center, Flemington, New Jersey 08822, United States
CCOP - Northern New Jersey, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601, United States
Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center Comprehensive Cancer Center, Bronx, New York 10466, United States
Akron City Hospital, Akron, Ohio 44309-2090, United States
Adena Regional Medical Center, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601, United States
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-5065, United States
MetroHealth Cancer Care Center at MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44109, United States
CCOP - Columbus, Columbus, Ohio 43215, United States
Doctors Hospital at Ohio Health, Columbus, Ohio 43228, United States
Grant Medical Center Cancer Care, Columbus, Ohio 43215, United States
Mount Carmel Health - West Hospital, Columbus, Ohio 43222, United States
Riverside Methodist Hospital Cancer Care, Columbus, Ohio 43214-3998, United States
Grady Memorial Hospital, Delaware, Ohio 43015, United States
Fairfield Medical Center, Lancaster, Ohio 43130, United States
St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, Ohio 45801, United States
Strecker Cancer Center at Marietta Memorial Hospital, Marietta, Ohio 45750, United States
Licking Memorial Cancer Care Program at Licking Memorial Hospital, Newark, Ohio 43055, United States
Community Hospital of Springfield and Clark County, Springfield, Ohio 45505, United States
Mercy Medical Center, Springfield, Ohio 45504, United States
Mount Carmel St. Ann's Cancer Center, Westerville, Ohio 43081, United States
Genesis - Good Samaritan Hospital, Zanesville, Ohio 43701, United States
Bryn Mawr Hospital, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010, United States
Cancer Center of Paoli Memorial Hospital, Paoli, Pennsylvania 19301-1792, United States
CCOP - MainLine Health, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania 19096, United States
Lankenau Cancer Center at Lankenau Hospital, Wynnewood, Pennsylvania 19096, United States
Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57105, United States
Medical X-Ray Center, PC, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57105, United States
Sanford Cancer Center at Sanford USD Medical Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57117-5039, United States
West Virginia University - Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center - Charleston Division, Charleston, West Virginia 25304, United States
Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center at West Virginia University Hospitals, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, United States
Gundersen Lutheran Cancer Center at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601, United States