J Korean Med Sci.  2008 Dec;23(6):992-998. 10.3346/jkms.2008.23.6.992.

Weekly Low-Dose Docetaxel for Salvage Chemotherapy in Pretreated Elderly or Poor Performance Status Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

• Lee KW
• Lim JH
• Kim JH
• Lee CT
• Lee JS

• KMID: 1107523
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2008.23.6.992

Abstract

Although docetaxel monotherapy has shown clinical benefits for previously treated patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the efficacy of salvage docetaxel chemotherapy for elderly patients or patients with poor performance status (PS) is controversial. Therefore, we conducted a phase II trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of weekly low-dose docetaxel monotherapy in these patients. Forty NSCLC patients, who had been previously treated with one or more chemotherapy regimens, received docetaxel at a dose of 25 mg/m(2) weekly on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. All patients were > or =65 yr or had a PS of grade 2 in the cases of <65 yr. Weekly low-dose docetaxel was well-tolerated. Grade 3/4 non-hematologic toxicities were rare; fatigue in 3 patients (8%), anorexia in 3 patients (8%) and stomatitis in 2 patients (5%). Grade 3/4 neutropenia was noted in only one patient (3%). By intent-to-treat analysis, nine patients (23%) had partial responses and eleven patients (28%) demonstrated stable disease. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 9.9 weeks and 37.7 weeks, respectively. Weekly low-dose docetaxel therapy provides a reasonable alternative for NSCLC salvage treatment in pretreated elderly patients or in patients with a reduced PS.

Keyword

Weekly Docetaxel; Carcinoma, Non-small-Cell Lung; Aged; Second-Line Therapy

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Antineoplastic Agents/*administration & dosage
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/*drug therapy/mortality/pathology
Disease Progression
Disease-Free Survival
Drug Administration Schedule
Female
Health Status
Humans
Infusions, Intravenous
Lung Neoplasms/*drug therapy/mortality/pathology
Male
Middle Aged
*Salvage Therapy
Severity of Illness Index
Survival Analysis
Taxoids/*administration & dosage

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Kaplan-Meier survival curve for progression-free survival.

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  Fig. 2 Kaplan-Meier survival curve for overall survival.

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