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Options in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Review and Report on a Phase II Study of Vinorelbine Plus Gemcitabine

University of Miami School of Medicine and The Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Correspondence: Rogerio Lilenbaum, M.D., University of Miami School of Medicine and The Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center, 4306 Alton Road, Miami Beach, FL 33140-2840, USA. Telephone: 305-535-3310; Fax: 305-35-3324; e-mail: rlilenbaum{at}salick.com

Although platinum-containing regimens prolong survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), toxicity remains substantial. There is a clear need for a nonplatinum-based regimen which is active, well tolerated, and suitable for outpatient administration. Vinorelbine and gemcitabine have different mechanisms of action and are both active in NSCLC. A phase II trial was undertaken to evaluate activity and tolerability when the two drugs were administered as a first-line combination regimen in 32 patients with stage IIIB/IV disease. Gemcitabine was administered at a dose of 1,000-1,250 mg/m² together with vinorelbine 25 mg/m² on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. The overall response rate was 25%, median survival 8.3 months and one-year survival rate 38% (48% in patients of performance status 0-1). Grade 3/4 neutropenia was observed in 38% of 148 treatment cycles, however, thrombocytopenia was infrequent and there was no grade 3/4 anemia. Nonhematological toxicity was minimal. The response and survival rates experienced were comparable with standard platinum-based combinations. Ongoing randomized trials will further define the role of the vinorelbine/gemcitabine combination in advanced NSCLC.

Key Words. Vinorelbine • Gemcitabine • Lung Cancer

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