Weekly intensive versus standard chemotherapy in untreated small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients with good prognosis

INTERVENTION: 1. Intensive Regimen: Chemotherapy, cisplatin and etoposide alternating every 7 days with ifosfamide and adriamycin. A total of twelve courses, six with each drug combination. 2. Standard Regimen: Chemotherapy, cisplatin and etoposide alternating every 21 days with ifosfamide and adriamycin. A total of six courses, three with each drug combination. All limited disease patients who show complete or partial response following chemotherapy receive thoracic irradiation. CONDITION: Lung (small cell) ; Cancer ; Lung (small cell) PRIMARY OUTCOME: Not provided at time of registration SECONDARY OUTCOME: Not provided at time of registration INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Histologically or cytologically proven SCLC 2. Age 75 or under 3. Either limited disease or extensive disease in the good prognostic category. That is have both of the following characteristics, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1 and alkaline phosphatase <1.5 upper limit of normal range 4. Adequate renal function 5. No previous malignancy, except non‐melanomatous skin cancer 6. No previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy 7. No medical contraindications to treatment