title: Paclitaxel combined with cis-platin as second-line treatment in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancers refractory to cis-platin.
abstract: We combined paclitaxel with cis-platin as second-line treatment in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had previously undergone first-line therapy with cis-platin combined with cytotoxic drugs other than taxanes. The aim was to evaluate the effect of this cytotoxic combination in patients with refractory tumour to cis-platin. All 36 patients in the study population were evaluable for toxicity and 35 for response. Nine patients were stage IIIa, 15 IIIb and 12 IV. Prior treatment involved cis-platin plus vindesine and epirubicin or vinblastine and mitomycin-C; second-line treatment involved cis-platin (90 mg/m2) and paclitaxel (175 mg/m2), administered once every 3 weeks with 2-6 courses per patient. Partial response (40%) was obtained in 14 patients, 8 of whom had achieved minor response or stable disease after first-line treatment. Response duration was a minimum of 3 months. Toxicity was tolerable; only neurotoxicity was grade II in 16.7% of the patients. On the basis of our results, paclitaxel can be recommended as a very effective cytotoxic drug for NSCLC patients.
authors.affiliation: Hippokration Hospital, Oncology Department, Second Medical Division, University of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Stathopoulos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rigatos
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Malamos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin