Gemcitabine plus UFT combination chemotherapy as second- or third-line therapy in non-small cell lung cancer: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Gemcitabine plus UFT combination chemotherapy are highly effective and less toxic in the first line setting in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The purpose of the study is to confirm the feasibility of this regimen as second- or third-line therapy in NSCLC.


METHODS
Fifteen patients with performance status of 0-1 were enrolled. UFT (tegafur 250 mg/m(2)/day) was administered orally twice a day from days 1-14, and gemcitabine of 900 mg/m(2) was administered intravenously on days 8 and 15 every three weeks on an outpatient setting. The treatment was repeated for at least 3 cycles and continued unless the disease progressed.


RESULTS
The response rate and the disease control rate were 6.7% and 66.7%, respectively. Grade 3-4 toxicities included neutropenia in one patient and elevation of transaminases in one patient. The mean relative dose intensity of gemcitabine and UFT were 0.93 and 0.97, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
High disease control rate and less toxicity suggested the potential of gemcitabine and UFT combination chemotherapy as second- or third-line therapy in NSCLC.
Nishimura
Naoki
N
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, St. Luke's International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Sugiura
Rika
R
Ueda
Hirotaka
H
Ono
Hiroshi
H
Horinouchi
Hidehito
H
Uchiyama
Noboru
N
Chohnabayashi
Naohiko
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005641:Tegafur / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D014498:Uracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D003841:Deoxycytidine; D005641:Tegafur; D014498:Uracil; D000093542:Gemcitabine