[Symptomatic treatment versus combination chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects on survival of combination chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
Seventy patients with advanced NSCLC were pairingly divided into two equal groups: 35 patients who refused chemotherapy received symptomatic treatment; the other 35 patients received combined chemotherapy with mitomycin(8-10 mg/m2, dl), vindesine (3 mg/m2, dl, 8) cisplatin (20 mg/m2, dl-5), repeated every four weeks for 2-4 cycles and followed by oral administration of Ftorafur (FT-207) 200-300 mg tid, until recurrence or progression of disease.


RESULTS
The overall median survival time in the chemotherapy group was 9 months, and 4.5 months in the symptomatically treated group. The one-year survival rate was 34.3% and 8.0% respectively. The major toxic effects of chemotherapy were gastrointestinal tract reactions and myelosuppression.


CONCLUSIONS
Combination chemotherapy can prolong survival time in patients with advanced NSCLC.
Xu
G
G
Cancer Hospital, Sun Yet-Sen University of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou 510060.
Liu
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged