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Second-line chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with small-cell lung cancer pretreated with platinum and etoposide: a single institution phase II trial

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Abstract

Purpose: The safety and efficacy of a combined regimen of weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine was tested in patients with refractory and sensitive small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Methods: Treatment consisted of paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, 15 and gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks. Of the 31 patients enrolled, 10 had refractory and 21 had sensitive disease. Objective responses occurred in 8 patients (26%), including 2 out of 10 patients with refractory- and 6 out of 21 patients with sensitive SCLC. Median time to progression and median survival were 9.4 and 32 weeks, respectively. Results: The schedule was very well tolerated, with grade 3–4 thrombocytopenia in 26% of the patients, grade 3 neutropenia in 26%, grade 3–4 asthenia in 13% and grade 1–2 sensory neuropathy in 32%. Conclusion: To conclude, this weekly schedule of paclitaxel and gemcitabine was found to have moderate activity in platinum-etoposide pretreated SCLC patients and a favorable toxicity profile.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Oncologia Medica, Centro Oncologico Ematologico Subalpino (C.O.E.S.), Azienda Ospedaliera Molinette, Via Cherasco 15, 10126, Torino, Italy

    Vincenzo Dongiovanni, Lucio Buffoni, Diego Dongiovanni, Raffaella Grillo, Carla Barone, Alfredo Addeo, Camilla Fissore & Oscar Bertetto

  2. Oncologia Medica, Azienda Ospedaliera San Luigi, Orbassano, Italy

    Alfredo Berruti

Authors
  1. Vincenzo Dongiovanni
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  2. Lucio Buffoni
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  3. Alfredo Berruti
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  4. Diego Dongiovanni
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  5. Raffaella Grillo
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  6. Carla Barone
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  7. Alfredo Addeo
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  8. Camilla Fissore
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  9. Oscar Bertetto
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Correspondence to Vincenzo Dongiovanni.

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Dongiovanni, V., Buffoni, L., Berruti, A. et al. Second-line chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with small-cell lung cancer pretreated with platinum and etoposide: a single institution phase II trial. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 58, 203–209 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-005-0157-6

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