Dataset from A Randomized Phase III Study Comparing Etoposide and Cisplatin With Etoposide, Cisplatin and Paclitaxel in Patients With Extensive Small Cell Lung Cancer

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining more than one drug may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether cisplatin, etoposide, and paclitaxel are more effective than cisplatin and etoposide alone in treating patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of cisplatin plus etoposide with or without paclitaxel in treating patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.