title: Gemcitabine as second-line treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: A phase II trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the activity and toxicity of gemcitabine as a single agent in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after recurrence or failure of previous treatment with a platinum-containing regimen.
  
  
  METHODS
  From November 1995 to October 1997, 83 patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC received gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) once a week for 3 weeks every 28 days. Responses were assessed every two treatment courses. The median age of the patients was 63 years; Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status was 0 to 1 in 62 patients and 2 in 21 patients. The predominant histology was squamous (39 patients); 49 patients had stage IV disease and 34 patients had stage III disease (33 stage IIIB and one stage IIIA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen patients (19%) achieved a partial response to treatment; the median duration of response was 29 weeks (range, 6 to 50 weeks). Treatment was well tolerated: grade 2 to 3 (World Health Organization standardized response criteria) leukopenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 23% and 20% of patients, respectively. Mild asthenia was observed in 16% of patients, and peripheral edema in 5% of patients. Nausea and vomiting were present in 16% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this experience, gemcitabine showed significant activity without relevant toxicity, mainly in patients who were previously responsive to chemotherapy. This suggests a possible role for gemcitabine as a second-line treatment in patients who had a previous response or achieved stable disease with a platinum-containing regimen.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Division, Policlinico Hospital, Perugia, Italy. oncmedpg@krenet.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crinò
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mosconi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scagliotti
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Selvaggi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Novello
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rinaldi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Della Giulia
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gridelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calandri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Marinis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noseda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tonato
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine