Phase II study of cisplatin combined to irinotecan administered alternatingly with docetaxel in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the activity and toxicity of cisplatin and irinotecan alternating with docetaxel in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eligibility included chemo-naïve stage IIIB with malignant effusion and stage IV NSCLC patients with measurable disease and a good performance status. Twenty-four patients were enrolled into the present study. There were 19 males and 5 females with a median age of 58.5 years and the median performance status was 1. Ninety-six percent had stage IV disease. These patients received cisplatin at 80 mg/ m2 and irinotecan at 200 mg/m2 on day 1, followed by docetaxel at 75 mg/m2 on day 22, in 6-week cycle for a maximum of 3 cycles. RESULTS: Eight out of twenty-two evaluable patients obtained a partial response (36%). The median time to tumor progression was 6 months. The median survival time and 1-year survival rate were 10.4 months and 45% respectively. The most frequent severe toxicities were neutropenia, anemia, and diarrhea. Febrile neutropenia occurred in four patients (16%), and was the cause of treatment-related deaths in two (8%). Other nonhematologic toxicities were mild including nausea, vomiting, and skin rash. CONCLUSION: Alternating cisplatin and irinotecan with docetaxel, as used in the present study was feasible and demonstrated encouraging efficacy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer However, this approach appears to be more toxic, especially in myelosuppression, than in previous reports of the sequential use of the similar agents.

A phase II study of docetaxel and carboplatin in Thai patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This phase II study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the docetaxel plus carboplatin combination in chemotherapy-naive Thai patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Forty patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0-1, stage IIIB/IV NSCLC were enrolled in a phase H study between August 2001 and April 2003. Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 and Carboplatin AUC = 6 were given every 3 weeks. Response to treatment and toxicity were graded using standard WHO criteria. The Thai Functional Living Index Cancer (T-FLIC) scale was used to assess the Quality of Life (QoL) of all treated patients. RESULTS: Forty patients (median age: 55 years, range, 39-68 years; PS:0-1) were enrolled: one had stage IIIB disease with effusion, while thirty-nine had stage IV disease. Five patients were non-evaluable due to death within the first cycle; two dying of febrile neutropenia and sepsis, two of pulmonary infection, and one of unknown etiology. Partial response (PR) was seen in 28.6% patients, stable disease (SD) in 25.7%, and progressive disease (PD) in 45.7%. The median survival time was 32 weeks and the 1-year survival rate was 30.7%. Body mass index (BMI) was the only factor associated with survival time (univariate analysis: p = 0.006; multivariate analysis: p = 0.004). Other factors (gender, age, histology, ECOG PS, and glomerular filtration rate) were not predict for survival. The major treatment-related toxicities were neutropenia (from 152 treatment cycles there were grade 4: 19.7%; grade 3: 23.7%), febrile neutropenia (from 152 treatment cycles there was 3.95%), and diarrhea (grades 3/4: 0.66%). The QoL scores improved significantly throughout the treatment period. CONCLUSION: The regimen of docetaxel and carboplatin is active in advanced NSCLC and may be considered for first-line therapy.