Combined paclitaxel and gemcitabine as first-line treatment in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer: a multicentre phase II study

The efficacy and toxicity of combined paclitaxel and gemcitabine was evaluated in 54 chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gemcitabine i.v. 1000 mg/m(2)was administered on days 1 and 8 and paclitaxel 200 mg/m(2)as a continuous 3-hour infusion on day 1. Treatment was repeated every 21 days. Patients had a median age of 53 years. ECOG performance status was 0 or 1 in 48 patients. 41 patients (75.9%) had initial stage IV disease; histology was mainly adenocarcinoma (46.3%). 2 patients (4.3%) achieved a complete response and 15 (31.9%) achieved a partial response giving an overall response rate of 36.2% (95% CI: 22.4–49.9%); 19 patients (40.4%) had stable disease and 10 (21.3%) had progressive disease. The median survival time was 51 weeks (95% CI: 46.5–59.3), with a 1-year survival probability of 0.48 (95% CI: 0.34–0.63). Grade 3/4 neutropenia and febrile neutropenia occurred in 15.2% and 2.2% of courses, respectively. Grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia was rare (1.8% of courses). Peripheral neurotoxicity developed in 25 patients (47.2%), mostly grade 1/2. Arthalgia/myalgia was observed in 30 patients (56.6%), generally grade 1 or 2. Grade 3 abnormal levels of serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) and serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) occurred in 5 patients (9.4%) and 1 patient (1.9%), respectively. Combined paclitaxel and gemcitabine is an active and well-tolerated regimen for the treatment of advanced NSCLC, and warrants further investigation in comparative, randomized trials. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.com