A phase II study of weekly paclitaxel combined with carboplatin for elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
We conducted this phase II study to explore the efficacy and safety of weekly paclitaxel combined with carboplatin in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Elderly patients (> or = 70 years old) of stage IIIB, IV, or recurrent NSCLC with PS 0 or 1 were enrolled. Patients received paclitaxel at a dose of 70 mg/m2 on Days 1, 8, 15, and carboplatin at the target dose of the area under the curve (AUC) of six on Day 1 every 28 days for at least two cycles. Forty-two patients were enrolled and 40 patients were treated with a median of three cycles (range, 1-5). The overall response rate (ORR) was 45% (95% confidence interval, 30-60%). The median survival time (MST) was 14 months and the 1-year survival rate was 62%. Twenty-eight patients (70%) had grade 3/4 neutropenia and two patients (5%) experienced grade 3 febrile neutropenia. Non-hematological toxicities were generally mild to moderate and grade 3 peripheral neuropathy was seen in one patient (3%). There was one treatment-related death by infection due to neutropenia. Weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin combination chemotherapy was an effective and safe regimen in elderly patients with advanced NSCLC. A randomized trial comparing this treatment with the conventional tri-weekly regimen of paclitaxel and carboplatin is warranted.
Department of Respiratory Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan. akinoue@idac.tohoku.ac.jp
Akira
A
Inoue
Kazuhiro
K
Usui
Osamu
O
Ishimoto
Nobuyuki
N
Matsubara
Masashi
M
Tanaka
Mariko
M
Kanbe
Kazunori
K
Gomi
Sadahiro
S
Koinumaru
Yasuo
Y
Saijo
Toshihiro
T
Nukiwa
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel