title: A phase III randomized trial of gemcitabine-oxaliplatin versus carboplatin-paclitaxel as first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This phase III study compared the efficacy and tolerability of gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) with paclitaxel and carboplatin (PCb) in chemotherapy-naive patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients aged 18 years or older were randomized to PCb (paclitaxel 225 mg/m followed by carboplatin area under the curve = 6 on day 1 every 3 weeks) or GEMOX (gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m on days 1 and 8 followed by oxaliplatin 130 mg/m on day 1 every 3 weeks) for up to six cycles. The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS), with tumor response rate, overall survival (OS), and quality of life as secondary end points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : The study was terminated after 383 patients had been randomized (371 received treatment) as the incidence of adverse events had exceeded the protocol-specified safety threshold (≥ 20% in either arm). No formal statistical comparisons were conducted. Median PFS was 4.44 months and 4.67 months in the GEMOX and PCb groups, respectively. Objective response rates (complete or partial) were 15.2% and 22.4% in the GEMOX and PCb arms, respectively. Median OS was 9.90 months (GEMOX) and 9.24 months (PCb); post hoc analyses showed median OS in patients aged 70 years or older to be similar to those younger than 70 years. PFS was similar in both groups of patients with adenocarcinoma histology, although OS favored the GEMOX group. Quality of life was improved from baseline in both groups. Toxicity profiles were comparable between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PFS, OS, and objective response rates with GEMOX were similar to PCb. Nevertheless, toxicities limit the adoption of this regimen for routine use in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: US Oncology Research, Inc., Houston, Texas, USA. Charles.Weissman@USONCOLOGY.COM
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Weissman
authors.forename: Craig H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Marcus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Neubauer
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pritchard
authors.forename: Svetlana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobina
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asmar
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D000077150:Oxaliplatin; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D000093542:Gemcitabine