A phase II trial of docetaxel and ifosfamide for patients with platinum-resistant or refractory non-small cell lung cancer in a salvage setting.
OBJECTIVE
We conducted a phase II study of docetaxel and ifosfamide chemotherapy for patients with platinum-resistant or refractory non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to evaluate the response and toxicity profiles as a salvage treatment.


METHODS
Between July 2000 and July 2004, 40 patients who had previously received platinum-based regimen as the first-line or second-line therapy were enrolled in this study. The treatment consisted of a docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) intravenous infusion on day 1 and intravenous ifosfamide 3 g/m(2) with Mesna uroprotectione on day 1 through 3. This regimen was repeated every 3 weeks.


RESULTS
One hundred thirty cycles of treatment were given, with a median of 3 cycles (range: 2 approximately 6 cycles). All the patients were evaluable for the response rate and toxicity profile. The major toxicity was myelosuppression. Grade 3 approximately 4 neutropenia occurred in 30 patients (75%) during treatment. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 16 patients (40%). Five of 40 patients (12.5%) had a partial response (95% confidence interval, 3.3 approximately 21.7%). The median time to disease progression was 2.65 months (range: 2.02 approximately 3.20 months), and the median survival was 5.24 months (range: 2.99 approximately 7.49 months).


CONCLUSIONS
Salvage chemotherapy with docetaxel and ifosfamide showed a low efficacy and a high proportion of severe neutropenia in patients with platinum-resistant or refractory advanced NSCLC.
Lee
Gyeong-Won
GW
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Gyeong-Sang National University, Jinju, Korea.
Kang
Jung-Hun
JH
Kim
Seok-Hyun
SH
Lee
Hea Yong
HY
Kim
Ho-Cheol
HC
Lee
Won-Sup
WS
Lee
Jong-Duk
JD
Hwang
Young-Sil
YS
Jang
Joung-Soon
JS
Lee
Jong-Seok
JS