Phase III trial of gemcitabine and carboplatin versus mitomycin, ifosfamide, and cisplatin or mitomycin, vinblastine, and cisplatin in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma

✍ Scribed by Sarah Danson; Mark R. Middleton; Kenneth J. O'Byrne; Mark Clemons; Malcolm Ranson; Jurjees Hassan; Heather Anderson; Paul A. Burt; Corrine Fairve-Finn; Ronald Stout; Isabel Dowd; Linda Ashcroft; Cheryl Beresford; Nicholas Thatcher

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2003
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 325 KB
• Volume: 98
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/cncr.11535

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The authors compared gemcitabine and carboplatin (GC) with mitomycin, ifosfamide, and cisplatin (MIC) or mitomycin, vinblastine, and cisplatin (MVP) in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The primary objective was survival. Secondary objectives were time to disease progression, response rates, evaluation of toxicity, disease‐related symptoms, World Health Organization performance status (PS), and quality of life (QoL).

METHODS

Three hundred seventy‐two chemotherapy‐naïve patients with International Staging System Stage III/IV NSCLC who were ineligible for curative radiotherapy or surgery were randomized to receive either 4 cycles of gemcitabine (1000 mg/m^2^ on Days 1, 8, and 15) plus carboplatin (area under the serum concentration‐time curve, 5; given on Day 1) every 4 weeks (the GC arm) or MIC/MVP every 3 weeks (the MIC/MVP arm).

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in median survival (248 days in the MIC/MVP arm vs. 236 days in the GC arm) or time to progression (225 days in the MIC/MVP arm vs. 218 days in the GC arm) between the 2 treatment arms. The 2‐year survival rate was 11.8% in the MIC/MVP arm and 6.9% in the GC arm. The 1‐year survival rate was 32.5% in the MIC/MVP arm and 33.2% in the GC arm. In the MIC/MVP arm, 33% of patients responded (4 complete responses [CRs] and 57 partial responses [PRs]) whereas in the GC arm, 30% of patients responded (3 CRs and 54 PRs). Nonhematologic toxicity was comparable for patients with Grade 3–4 symptoms, except there was more alopecia among patients in the MIC/MVP arm. GC appeared to produce more hematologic toxicity and necessitated more transfusions. There was no difference in performance status, disease‐related symptoms, or QoL between patients in the two treatment arms. Fewer inpatient stays for complications were required with GC.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study failed to demonstrate any difference in efficacy between the newer regimen of GC and the older regimens of MIC and MVP. Cancer 2003;98:542–53. © 2003 American Cancer Society.

DOI 10.1002/cncr.11535