First line chemotherapy with weekly docetaxel and cisplatin in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a multicenter phase II study.
BACKGROUND
We report outcomes for a phase II study of the combination of weekly docetaxel and cisplatin in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.


METHODS
Patients with chemotherapy-naive, stage IIIB/IV, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, ages 70 years or older, were eligible. Chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin (25 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, and 15 and docetaxel (20 mg/m2) on days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks.


RESULTS
Forty-six (95.8%) of the 48 patients were assessable for response, 1 case of complete response and 18 cases of partial response were confirmed, giving an overall response rate of 39.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25.7-53.5%). The median time to progression and overall survival for all patients was 5.0 months (95% CI, 4.1-5.7 months) and 10.9 months (95% CI, 9.6-12.2 months), respectively. The most severe hematologic adverse event was anemia, which occurred with grade 3 intensity in 6 (13.0%) patients and grade 4 in 2 (4.3%) patients. Neutropenia occurred with grade 3 intensity in 4 (8.7%) patients. Grade 3 asthenia, diarrhea, neuropathy, stomatitis, and nausea/vomiting were observed in 2 (4.3%), 5 (10.9%), 5 (10.9%), 5 (10.9%), and 3 (6.5%) patients, respectively. Yet, no grade 4 nonhematologic toxicity was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of weekly docetaxel and cisplatin is a well-tolerated treatment modality with encouraging activity and survival outcome in previously untreated elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Department of Oncology, Yueyang Hospital of Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of T.C.M., Shanghai, China.
Keqi
K
Han
Weiguo
W
Cao
Jinfeng
J
Che
Shenxu
S
Bo
Xiaodong
X
Guo
Guang
G
Huang
Lijun
L
Ma
Liangqi
L
Sun
Chunfang
C
Gao
Baoliang
B
Zhong
Zhigang
Z
Cao
Steven Jay
SJ
Tucker
Daoyuan
D
Wang
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077143:Docetaxel; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D002945:Cisplatin