Efficacy of modified regimen with attenuated doses of paclitaxel plus carboplatin combination chemotherapy in elderly and/or weak patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We conducted this study to evaluate the activity and toxicity of a combination regimen of paclitaxel plus carboplatin in patients with advanced NSCLC aged 65 years or older and/or in those with an ECOG performance status (PS) 2.


METHODS
Chemotherapy-naive patients with unresectable pathologically-proven NSCLC and of either age >or=65 or ECOG PS 2 were eligible. Patients received modified regimen with attenuated doses of paclitaxel (135 mg/m(2) i.v. for 3 h D1) and carboplatin (AUC=5, D1) every 3 weeks.


RESULTS
Thirty-five patients were enrolled. Nineteen patients were aged 65 or older (54%) and 26 patients (74%) were ECOG PS 2. The objective response rate was 40% with 14 partial responses. The median time to progression was 22 weeks. Grade 3 leucopenia occurred in 1 cycle and one case of neutropenic fever.


CONCLUSIONS
The modified regimen with attenuated doses of paclitaxel plus carboplatin combination chemotherapy was effective and well tolerated in patients with advanced NSCLC aged 65 years or older and/or in those with ECOG PS 2.
Choi
In Sil
IS
Department of Internal Medicine, Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28, Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, South Korea.
Kim
Byung Su
BS
Park
Sook Ryun
SR
Lee
Sang Yoon
SY
Kim
Do Yeun
DY
Kim
Jee Hyun
JH
Lee
Se Hoon
SH
Kim
Tae-You
TY
Heo
Dae Seog
DS
Bang
Yung-Jue
YJ
Kim
Noe Kyeong
NK
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel