Long-term survival after second-line therapy with docetaxel and carboplatin and monthly pamidronic acid in a woman with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
In patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), second-line chemotherapy induces response rates of less than 20% and median survival times between 5 and 8 months.


METHODS
In the case described here, a patient with metastatic NSCLC responded with complete remission of the primary tumor and the involved lymph nodes as well as partial remission of bone metastases to a second-line chemotherapy with docetaxel and carboplatin. Since April 2003 (33 months), no tumor progression has been observed. Until present, the patient received monthly infusions of pamidronic acid.


CONCLUSIONS
Our case report indicates that in certain patients with metastatic NSCLC who did not respond to first-line regimens, second-line chemotherapy can induce outstanding tumor response and significantly improve survival. It also indicates that the role of bisphosphonates in the treatment of NSCLC should be further investigated in large clinical trials.
Andritzky
Birte
B
Department of Oncology and Hematology, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany. b.andritzky@uke.uni-hamburg.de
Schuch
Gunter
G
Thoem
Ina
I
Goern
Michael
M
Brandl
Stephan
S
Bokemeyer
Carsten
C
Laack
Eckart
E