title: [Gemcitabine plus cisplatin versus navelbine plus cisplatin in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate and compare the efficacy and toxicity between combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC) and combination of navelbine and cisplatin (VC) in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC were enrolled into the study, with 32 patients in GC group and 35 in VC group. Patients' characteristics were similar between the two groups. They were given gemcitabine 1 000-1 250 mg/m², or navelbine 25 mg/m² on days 1 and 8, and cisplatin 80-100 mg/m² on days 1-3. The chemotherapy was repeated every 3 weeks as a cycle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An objective response rate of 37.5% was observed in GC arm versus 34.3% in VC arm (P=0.59). The 1-year survival rate was 38.7% in GC compared to 34.3% in VC (P=0.48). The median survival duration was 9.5 months for GC arm and 8.6 months for VC arm. Myelosuppression was the major dose-limiting toxicity. The incidence of grade III/IV leukopenia was significantly higher in the VC group than that in DC group (P=0.01), while grade III/IV thrombocytopenia occurred more frequently in the GC group than that in VC group (P=0.015).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The GC combination is as equally active and well tolerated as the VC combination in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemotherapy, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Lvhong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo