title: A Phase II Study of Weekly Paclitaxel Plus Gemcitabine as a Second-Line Therapy in Patients with Metastatic or Recurrent Small Cell Lung Cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Paclitaxel (P) and gemcitabine (G) are clinically synergistic in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). We evaluated the efficacy of PG as a salvage treatment for SCLC patients whose disease progressed after a platinum-containing regimen.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligibility included histologically confirmed SCLC, one dimensionally measurable disease, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-2, and progressive disease after platinum-based chemotherapy. Treatment consisted of P (80 mg/m(2)) and G (1,000 mg/m(2)) on days 1 and 8 of each cycle of 21 days until disease progression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three patients seen between December 2005 and February 2009 were selected into this study. Thirty patients (91%) had received irinotecan-platinum, and three had received etoposide-platinum. Sixteen patients (49%) had a treatment-free interval of less than 3 months. The overall response rate was 30.3% (29.4% in sensitive relapse and 31.3% in refractory relapse). The median time to progression was 12.0 weeks and median overall survival (OS) 31.0 weeks, with a 1-year OS rate of 30.3%. Toxicities were moderate and manageable with 18.2% grade (G) 4 neutropenia, 24.2% G3 thrombocytopenia, 6.1% G3 sensory neuropathy, and 3% G3 asthenia. One patient developed febrile neutropenia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Second-line paclitaxel and gemcitabine were well-tolerated and moderately active in SCLC patients previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Center for Lung Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Tak
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.affiliation: Center for Lung Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Heung Tae
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for Lung Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Youn
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Center for Lung Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Center for Lung Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyae Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Cancer Biostatistics Branch, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Byung-Ho
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Center for Lung Cancer, Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D017239:Paclitaxel; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D017239:Paclitaxel
keywords: Gemcitabine; Paclitaxel; Second-line; Small cell lung carcinoma