BACKGROUNDTo evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of combination chemotherapy with navelbine (NVB) and cisplatin (DDP) in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSFrom 1998 to 2003, 46 patients with advanced NSCLC were treated with NVB plus DDP. NVB was given at a dose of 25 mg/m² on day 1 and 8, DDP at a dose of 65-80 mg/m² on day 1 or days 1-3. Twenty-one days was one cycle, each patient was treated at least for two cycles.

RESULTSThe overall response rate (RR) was 47.8% (22/46), 51.6% (16/31) for the first treated cases and 40.0% (6/15) for the retreated cases. RR of stage IIIB and IV was 54.5% (12/22) and 41.7% (10/24) respectively. RR for adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma was 50.0% (14/28) and 44.4% (8/18) respectively. The median survival time was 9.5 months. One-year survival rate was 39.1%. The common toxicities were myelosuppression, nausea/vomiting and phlebitis. Neutropenia accounted for 95.7% (grade III+IV was 28.3%), nausea/vomiting for 47.8% (grade III+IV was 8.7%) and phlebitis for 19.6%, but the last one were mild.

CONCLUSIONSCombination chemotherapy with NVB and DDP is an effective regimen to treat advanced NSCLC, and the toxicities are tolerable.