Cisplatin and vinorelbine as second-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) resistant to taxol plus gemcitabine

The aim of the study was to evaluate the activity of cisplatin (CDDP) plus vinorelbine (VNR) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSC LC) progressing after paclitaxel plus gemcitabine. Treatment consisted of C DDP 80 mg/m(2) administered on day 1 and VNR 25 mg/m(2) administered on day 1 and 8, repeated every 3 weeks. Nine patients who relapsed after partial response and eight patients refractory to prior CT received a minimum of tw o treatment cycles. three patients achieved a PR (18%: 95%; CI: 4-43%). fou r had stable disease and 10 had disease progression. All responses were obs erved among the nine patients responsive to prior treatment. Median surviva l was 35 weeks. No patients required dose-reduction. treatment discontinuat ion or delay because of toxicity. Our results indicate a reasonable antitum or efficacy and no relevant toxicity of a secund-line CDDP-based chemothera py in patients with advanced NSCLC. We recommend the use of this regimen fo r patients not refractory to primary treatment. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science I reland Ltd. All rights reserved.