ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: In phase II trials gemicitabine proved to be an active agent in NSCLC, producing a clinical benefit, often higher than response rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We assessed the impact of gemcitabine treatment on response rate and quality of life in 21 untreated elderly patients (aged > 70 years) with NSCLC. Gemcitabine (1250 mg/sm) was administered days 1-8 every 21 days. Response and toxicity were analyzed according to WHO criteria. The assessment of quality of life was performed by analysing a disease symptom related questionnaire completed by the patient. RESULTS: All the patients were evaluable: we found 7 PR (33%), 5 SD (24%) and 9 PD; the median duration of response was 24 weeks; the median overall survival 32 weeks; WHO grade 2 leukopenia (in 4 patients) and thrombocytopenia (grade 3 in 1 patient and grade 2 in two patients) were the main toxic effects. A clinical benefit was demonstrated in all 12 patients with PR or SD and in 3 patients with PD. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that gemcitabine is a well tolerated and active therapeutic approach in elderly non small cell lung cancer patients.
Subject(s)
Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy , Deoxycytidine/therapeutic use , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Adenocarcinoma/drug therapy , Adenocarcinoma/pathology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/adverse effects , Carcinoma, Large Cell/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Large Cell/pathology , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/mortality , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Deoxycytidine/adverse effects , Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives , Female , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/mortality , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Male , Neoplasm Staging , Quality of Life , Surveys and Questionnaires , Survival Rate , GemcitabineABSTRACT
We report the results obtained in the treatment of 52 advanced non-small-cell lung cancer patients with the combination chemotherapy VP16 (120 mg/m2 i.v., days 1-2-3), epirubicin (50 mg/m2 i.v., day 1) and procarbazine (100 mg/m2 p.o., days 1 through 8). The courses were repeated every 21 days. No patient had been pretreated. A median of 5 courses was administered. Partial response was obtained in 33% and no change in 21% of patients. Median remission time was 6.5 months, and median survival of responders was 10 months. The best response rate and median survival were obtained in the lowest grade performance status patients and in locally advanced disease patients. Major chemotherapy related toxicities were grade 1-2 leukopenia and grade 2-3 alopecia.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Adult , Aged , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects , Epirubicin/administration & dosage , Etoposide/administration & dosage , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Procarbazine/administration & dosageABSTRACT
Serum copper levels (SCL) and serum zinc levels (SZL) were measured in two groups of lung cancer patients divided according to disease extension. SCL was higher, SZL was lower and SCL/SZL ratio was more raised in patients extensively affected by the disease. It is confirmed that SCL, SZL and the SCL/SZL ratio play an important role in indicating the stage of lung cancer development.
Subject(s)
Copper/blood , Lung Neoplasms/blood , Zinc/blood , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm StagingABSTRACT
Thirty patients with local recurrent and/or distant metastatic cervical carcinoma were treated by combined chemotherapy with methotrexate, adriamycin and bleomycin (MAB). Among the 25 evaluable patients 1 CR (4%), 5 PR (20%), 9 SD (36%) and 10 PD (40%) were obtained. A high incidence of cardiotoxicity (20%) and alopecia (32%) was observed. Both phenomena are linked to the anthracyclinic component of the regimen. As the results are not better than those reported by using only methotrexate and bleomycin, the authors did not find it useful to insert adriamycin in this regimen.
