[Combination therapy with vinorelbine and gemcitabine in unresectable non-small cell lung cancer].
Vinorelbine (VNR) and gemcitabine (GEM) were used in combination to treat 10 patients with unresectable non-small cell lung cancer to study the efficacy, safety, possibility of out-patient administration, and improvement of subjective symptoms. One course of treatment consisted of i.v. drip infusion of VNR at 25 mg/m2 followed by i.v. drip infusion of GEM at 1,000 mg/m2 on day 1 and day 8. This course was repeated more than twice, as a rule, at 3-week intervals. In 10 patients registered from November 1999 to March 2000, we observed PR in 5, SD in 4 and PD in 1. The response rate was 50%. PS was improved in 5 out of 6 patients with PS 1 or worse. All 4 patients with subjective symptoms reported improvement. Adverse effects of leukopenia of grade 3 or more occurred in 50% of patients and neutropenia in 80%. By dose reduction, we could administer 7.1 courses to each patient on average. Non-hematological toxicities, excluding eruption of grade 3 which occurred in the first course and made it impossible to continue the treatment, were phlebitis in 40% of patients, anorexia in 30% (only grades 1 and 2) and transient drug fever (only grade 1) in 50%. All were tractable, and no lung toxicity occurred. Antibiotic chemotherapy could be performed in 7 patients on an outpatient basis. Combination therapy with VNR and GEM also seemed to be a safe and useful treatment on an outpatient basis.
Araki
Jun
J
Dept. of Respiratory Medicine, Yamaguchi Prefectural Central Hospital.
Nishio
Kei
K
Watanabe
Masami
M
Oda
Toshiro
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D003841:Deoxycytidine; D014747:Vinblastine; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D000093542:Gemcitabine