Forty-six evaluable patients with recurrent small-cell lung cancer were entered on a phase II Hoosier Oncology Group (HOG) protocol evaluating bolus doxorubicin 40 mg/m2 followed by paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 over 3 hours. Courses were repeated every 3 weeks for a maximum of 6 courses. Therapy was well-tolerated with grade III neurotoxicity in 5 patients (11%), grade III/IV emesis in 5 (11%), and grade III mucositis in 2 patients. One patient had grade IV myalgias and one patient had grade III cardiotoxicity. The main toxicity was myelosuppression. Twenty-nine patients (63%) had grade IV and 8 (17%) grade III granulocytopenia. Nine patients (20%) were hospitalized for granulocytopenic fever. There was no treatment-related mortality. Nineteen of 46 patients (41%) had an objective response, including 3 complete remissions. Two of 14 patients with refractory disease (progression less than 3 months after initial therapy) responded, compared to 17 of 32 (52%) with sensitive disease (progression beyond 3 months of initial chemotherapy regimen).