Lung Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Lung Cancer, including details on symptoms, smoking, genetics, treatment, causes.

Gemcitabine and carboplatin: is this the best combination for non-small cell lung cancer?

Saha A, Rudd R

Medical Oncology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, UK. antonio.saha@cancer.org.uk

Approximately 30-40% of non-small cell lung cancer patients will present with metastatic disease, and its associated poor prognosis. Chemotherapy has an established palliative role within late-stage disease, but is also being used increasingly in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings. Platinum-based chemotherapy has been shown to produce definite improvements in efficacy and quality of life in non-small cell lung cancer patients, and is now the standard of care. Carboplatin has similar biochemical properties to those of cisplatin. However, carboplatin has much less renal, otologic, neurologic and upper gastrointestinal toxicities than cisplatin, and treatment can be conveniently delivered in an out-patient setting. Furthermore, platinum combinations with third-generation cytotoxics have shown additional gains in survival rates. Gemcitabine and carboplatin is a well-tolerated regime. Recent meta- and cost analyses have discovered that gemcitabine-based regimes may have an advantage over other third-generation agent platinum combinations. This article reviews the evidence demonstrating that gemcitabine-carboplatin is effective, convenient and cost effective.

Published 31 January 2006 in Expert Rev Anticancer Ther, 6(2): 165-73.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Lung Cancer Research Today. All Rights Reserved.