Second-line chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with small-cell lung cancer pretreated with platinum and etoposide: a single institution phase II trial.
OBJECTIVE
The safety and efficacy of a combined regimen of weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine was tested in patients with refractory and sensitive small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).


METHODS
Treatment consisted of paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) on days 1, 8, 15 and gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks. Of the 31 patients enrolled, 10 had refractory and 21 had sensitive disease. Objective responses occurred in 8 patients (26%), including 2 out of 10 patients with refractory- and 6 out of 21 patients with sensitive SCLC. Median time to progression and median survival were 9.4 and 32 weeks, respectively.


RESULTS
The schedule was very well tolerated, with grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia in 26% of the patients, grade 3 neutropenia in 26%, grade 3-4 asthenia in 13% and grade 1-2 sensory neuropathy in 32%.


CONCLUSIONS
To conclude, this weekly schedule of paclitaxel and gemcitabine was found to have moderate activity in platinum-etoposide pretreated SCLC patients and a favorable toxicity profile.
Dongiovanni
Vincenzo
V
Oncologia Medica, Centro Oncologico Ematologico Subalpino, Azienda Ospedaliera Molinette, Via Cherasco 15, 10126 Torino, Italy. vincenzo.dongiovanni@libero.it
Buffoni
Lucio
L
Berruti
Alfredo
A
Dongiovanni
Diego
D
Grillo
Raffaella
R
Barone
Carla
C
Addeo
Alfredo
A
Fissore
Camilla
C
Bertetto
Oscar
O
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D003841:Deoxycytidine; D005047:Etoposide; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine