Lung cancer : journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Randomized multicentric phase II study of carboplatin/gemcitabine and cisplatin/vinorelbine in advanced non-small cell lung cancer GFPC 99-01 study (Groupe français de pneumo-cancérologie).
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine and carboplatin in the treatment of previously untreated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ⋯ In terms of response rate, the gemcitabine-carboplatin combination was not efficient enough to allow further phase III study. Survival data are in the same range as the standard arm. This chemotherapy is feasible and may represent an alternative to a standard cisplatin-based regimen, allowing treatment in an outpatient setting.
-
HIV infection predisposes patients to AIDS-defining malignancies, some of which, such as Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, can affect the lungs. In 1996, AIDS-related mortality started to fall sharply in industrialized countries following the introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatments (HAART). This was accompanied by an increase in the proportion of deaths attributable to non AIDS-defining solid tumors, and especially lung cancer (LC). ⋯ Data on the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy in this setting are rare and rather imprecise. Surgery remains the reference treatment for localized disease in patients with adequate functional status and general health, regardless of their immune status. Prospective clinical trials are needed to define the optimal LC treatment strategies in HIV-infected patients.
-
Only 15% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with oral epidermal growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib, as a second-line therapy have objective responses. Fifty percent will have improvement of lung cancer related symptoms. It will be critical to identify patients who will benefit clinically from this therapy even when there is no objective response seen on imaging studies. We have performed a retrospective analysis of 76 patients who received gefitinib as a therapy for previously treated metastatic NSCLC at the University of Minnesota Comprehensive Cancer Center in order to describe characteristics of patients who will likely derive benefits from gefitinib therapy. ⋯ A subgroup of patients with NSCLC will benefit from gefitinib therapy. Objective responses will likely be seen in half the patients with mutation of internal domain of EGFR; however, a larger group of patients will also enjoy prolonged disease stabilization and clinical benefit. We suggest that adenocarcinoma with bronchoalveolar features and the presence of skin rash may be used as predictors of gefitinib benefit.