First-line cisplatin-fractionated doublet for unfit patients with advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract

e18072 Background: standard treatment for unfit patients (pts) with stage IIIB-IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is single-agent chemotherapy. Such pts are usually not suitable for cisplatin (CDDP)-based chemotherapy due to poor performance status (PS) and/or significant comorbidity that could enhance toxicity of high-dose CDDP. They also are not able to tolerate hydric load that is recommended for CDDP at high doses. We investigated a schedule of fractionated CDDP as first-line treatment in unfit pts with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC. Methods: 42 consecutive unfit pts with advanced/metastatic NSCLC were treated. They all had ECOG PS 2 and/or significant comorbidity and were not eligible for a standard CDDP-based doublet. Median age was 65,6 years (range 46-77), stage IIIB/IV=15/27 pts. Histology: squamous 62,4%, adenocarcinoma 37,5%, other/NOS 0,1%. All pts received q3w CDDP 35 mg/mq d1-8 plus Gemcitabine 1000 mg/mq d1-8 or Pemetrexed 500 mg/mq d1 according to histology, for a maximum of 6 cycles. Maintenance Pemetrexed was allowed in pts with non-squamous histology. Progression-free survival (PFS), clinical benefit rate (CBR) and toxicity were evaluated. Results: 33 pts are evaluable for efficacy and 35 for toxicity. Mean number of cycles per patient was 5,03 (total 211). Maintenance with q3w Pemetrexed was performed in 10 pts (23,8%)(mean 4,3 cycles per patient). Five pts in response after CDDP received thoracic RT. A partial response was observed in 42,5% of pts and a stable disease in 35,4% of pts, for an overall CBR of 77,9%. Median PFS was 10,1 months (Kaplan-Meier); 31,9% of pts were progression-free at 1 year. Pts with adenocarcinoma had significantly better PFS than those with squamous histology (11 vs 8 months, p=0.03). G3-G4 haematological toxicity: neutropenia 48,4% (3% febrile), thrombocytopenia 27,2% and anaemia 9,0%. A 25% dose reduction was required in 39,3% of patients. One patient died for cardiac failure during treatment. Conclusions: fractionated CDDP seems to be effective in our patients population with advanced NSCLC. Adequate supportive care help to manage severe hematological toxicity. A randomized phase II trial of fractionated CDDP-doublet versus monotherapy has been planned.