title: A phase II trial testing gemcitabine as second-line chemotherapy for non small cell lung cancer. The European Lung Cancer Working Party. 101473.1044@compuserve.com.
abstract: The purpose of the present trial was to determine the activity of gemcitabine as a second-line chemotherapy for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To be eligible, patients had to have pathologically proven NSCLC that has failed to respond to a first-line chemotherapy with a cisplatin-containing regimen, a Karnofsky performance status greater than 50 and adequate renal, haematological and hepatic functions. After registration, patients were treated by gemcitabine given i.v. at a dose of 1 g/m(2) on days 1, 8, 15 every 4 weeks. Response was assessed after two courses of therapy. Eighty-two patients have been registered, five are ineligible and 65 are assessable for response. Four partial responses were observed (6%). No change was documented in 18 cases (28%). Tolerance was good. A few grade III leucopenia and grade III-IV thrombopenia were observed. We conclude that gemcitabine has a modest activity as second-line chemotherapy for NSCLC. It has the advantage to be well tolerated and may thus be one drug to be proposed to the patients who have disease progression after a first-line chemotherapy and who ask for further treatment.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine, Institut Jules Bordet, 1, rue Héger-Bordet, B-1000, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Sculier
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lafitte
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berghmans
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thiriaux
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lecomte
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Efremidis
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ninane
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paesmans
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mommen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klastersky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine