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Phase II study of weekly chemotherapy with paclitaxel and gemcitabine as second-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy

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Abstract

Purpose

We evaluated the tolerability and activity of the combination of weekly paclitaxel (PTX) and gemcitabine (GEM) in second-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy.

Patients and methods

PTX (100 mg/m2) and GEM (1,000 mg/m2) were administered to patients with previous treated NSCLC on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks.

Results

A total of 40 patients (performance status 0/1/2, 7/27/6 pts) were enrolled. The response rate was 32.5% (95% confidence interval: 18.0–47.0%). The median survival time was 41.7 weeks (95% confidence interval: 28.5–54.7 weeks). The median time to disease progression was 19 weeks. Hematological toxicities (grade 3 or 4) observed included neutropenia in 60%, anemia in 15%, and thrombocytopenia in 12.5% of patients. Non-hematological toxicities were mild, with the exception of grade 3 diarrhea, pneumonitis, and rash in one patient each. There were no deaths due to toxicity.

Conclusion

The combination of weekly PTX and GEM is a feasible, well-tolerated, and active means of second-line treatment of advanced NSCLC.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Cancer Research from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Tokyo, Japan), and by the second-term comprehensive 10-year strategy for cancer control.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Thoracic Diseases, Tochigi Cancer Center, 4-9-13, Yonan, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, 320-0834, Japan

    Kiyoshi Mori, Yukari Kamiyama, Tetsuro Kondo, Yasuhiko Kano & Tetsuro Kodama

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  1. Kiyoshi Mori
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  2. Yukari Kamiyama
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  3. Tetsuro Kondo
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  4. Yasuhiko Kano
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  5. Tetsuro Kodama
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Correspondence to Kiyoshi Mori.

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Mori, K., Kamiyama, Y., Kondo, T. et al. Phase II study of weekly chemotherapy with paclitaxel and gemcitabine as second-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 60, 189–195 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-006-0360-0

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