Phase II study of weekly chemotherapy with paclitaxel and gemcitabine as second-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the tolerability and activity of the combination of weekly paclitaxel (PTX) and gemcitabine (GEM) in second-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy.


METHODS
PTX (100 mg/m(2)) and GEM (1,000 mg/m(2)) were administered to patients with previous treated NSCLC on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks.


RESULTS
A total of 40 patients (performance status 0/1/2, 7/27/6 pts) were enrolled. The response rate was 32.5% (95% confidence interval: 18.0-47.0%). The median survival time was 41.7 weeks (95% confidence interval: 28.5-54.7 weeks). The median time to disease progression was 19 weeks. Hematological toxicities (grade 3 or 4) observed included neutropenia in 60%, anemia in 15%, and thrombocytopenia in 12.5% of patients. Non-hematological toxicities were mild, with the exception of grade 3 diarrhea, pneumonitis, and rash in one patient each. There were no deaths due to toxicity.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of weekly PTX and GEM is a feasible, well-tolerated, and active means of second-line treatment of advanced NSCLC.
Mori
Kiyoshi
K
Department of Thoracic Diseases, Tochigi Cancer Center, 4-9-13, Yonan, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 320-0834, Japan. kmori@tcc.pref.tochigi.jp
Kamiyama
Yukari
Y
Kondo
Tetsuro
T
Kano
Yasuhiko
Y
Kodama
Tetsuro
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D017239:Paclitaxel; D000093542:Gemcitabine