Phase II study of carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The optimal schedule of taxane administration has been an area of active interest in several clinical trials. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy, a phase II study was conducted for chemo-naïve, advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Patients received paclitaxel 100 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15, and carboplatin with the target dose of area under the curve of 6 on day 1 every 28 days. RESULTS: Forty patients were enrolled. Overall response rate and survival at one year by intent-to-treat analyses was 35% and 57.5%, respectively. The median survival time was 12.2 months. Twenty-two patients (56%) had grade 3 or greater neutropenia. Grade 3 sensory and motor neuropathy were seen in one patient (3%). CONCLUSION: Carboplatin and weekly paclitaxel combination chemotherapy is an active and feasible regimen for patients with advanced NSCLC.

[Clinical features of intradural spinal cord metastases in primary lung cancer].

We retrospectively investigated the clinical features of 9 consecutive cases of intradural spinal cord metastasis from primary lung cancer treated at our hospital between April 1999 and March 2002. During those three years, spinal cord metastasis was diagnosed in seven of 49 (14.3%) cases with small cell carcinoma and only two of 284 (0.7%) cases with non-small cell carcinoma. Eight of the 9 cases had concomitant brain metastasis that preceded spinal cord metastasis and had received brain irradiation. The other patient without brain metastasis had also received prophylactic cranial irradiation. The interval from brain irradiation to the diagnosis of spinal cord metastasis ranged from 116 to 708 days (median 183 days). The most common initial symptom was muscle weakness of the lower extremities in five cases. Seven of the patients rapidly developed transverse myelopathy within two weeks. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with contrast enhancement demonstrated intramedullary tumors in seven cases and intradural extramedullary tumors in two cases. Spinal cord metastasis was often multifocal, and in each case lumbar enlargement was commonly involved. Radiation therapy with or without concurrent chemotherapy produced both neurologic improvement and a tumor response shown on MRI in 4 patients. Heightened awareness of the increasing incidence and background risk factors of this unusual complication could lead to earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment for neurologic palliation.

Analysis of the response and toxicity to gefitinib of non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Gefitinib is an oral agent that inhibits the tyrosine kinase of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which had antitumor activity in patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We analyzed the efficacy, toxicity and overall survival time of gefitinib treatment in patients with NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty-two patients with NSCLC, who received gefitinib between 2002 and 2004 in our institutes, were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: The objective response rate was 24.6%. The variables identified as significant in univariate analysis included gender and smoking habit. The median overall survival time was 14.4 months. Significant variables associated with improved survival included good performance status (PS), female, adenocarcinoma and never smoked status, while never smoked status and good PS were independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. Four patients (3.3%) developed interstitial pneumonitis associated with gefitinib. CONCLUSION: Gefitinib showed favorable anti-tumor activity in females, never smokers and adenocarcinoma.