title: Docetaxel (Taxotere) shows survival and quality-of-life benefits in the second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer: A review of two phase III trials.
abstract: The potential benefits of docetaxel (Taxotere; Aventis, Antony, France) to patients with previously-treated non-small cell lung cancer have been evaluated in two prospective randomized phase III trials. In one study, patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small cell lung cancer who had failed previous cisplatin-based chemotherapy were randomized to receive either docetaxel (100 or 75 mg/m2, once every 3 weeks) or best supportive care. Median survival was significantly longer for patients treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m2(7.5 months v 4.6 months) as was 1-year survival (37% v 11%). A second trial, also in platinum-pretreated patients, randomized patients to docetaxel 100 mg/m2, docetaxel 75 mg/m2, or vinorelbine/ifosfamide. Median survival was similar across the three study groups. Thirty-two percent of patients assigned to docetaxel 75 mg/m2and 21% to docetaxel 100 mg/m2, were alive at 1 year, versus 19% on the vinorelbine/ifosfamide arm. Docetaxel offers clinically meaningful benefits in the second-line setting. The recommended dose is 75 mg/m2once every 3 weeks. The adverse events observed were predictable, tolerable, and manageable. These phase III trials showed that docetaxel provided clinical benefits to patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
authors.affiliation: From Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada; From the Department of Medical Oncology, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA U.S.A.; From the Service d'Oncologie, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; From the Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY U.S.A.
authors.forename: Frances A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.affiliation: From Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada; From the Department of Medical Oncology, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA U.S.A.; From the Service d'Oncologie, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; From the Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY U.S.A.
authors.forename: Frank V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Fossella
authors.affiliation: From Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada; From the Department of Medical Oncology, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA U.S.A.; From the Service d'Oncologie, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; From the Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY U.S.A.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.affiliation: From Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada; From the Department of Medical Oncology, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA U.S.A.; From the Service d'Oncologie, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; From the Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY U.S.A.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Armand
authors.affiliation: From Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada; From the Department of Medical Oncology, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA U.S.A.; From the Service d'Oncologie, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; From the Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY U.S.A.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Rigas
authors.affiliation: From Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada; From the Department of Medical Oncology, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA U.S.A.; From the Service d'Oncologie, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; From the Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH U.S.A.; From the Department of Medical Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY U.S.A.
authors.forename: Mark G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kris