Cisplatin and vinorelbine in the treatment of advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Results of a multicentre study

Background. Polychemotherapy is the only treatment for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosed at a late stage. Many studies and metanalayses have confirmed the real impact on survival and on quality of life compared with supportive care. Patients and methods. The authors present their experience with association chemotherapy of cisplatin 80 mg/m2 day 1 + vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 days 1-8 for 3 cycles every 21 days, in 138 patients with advanced NSCLC. Results. After chemotherapy the response rate was 33% with a median survival time of 10 months, while the overall survival was 31% at one year and 10% at two years. The treatment was generally well tolerated and only 4% of patients had to interrupt it because of the side effects. Conclusions. The efficacy of this association regimen has been confirmed as treatment for advanced stage NSCLC, and it could be included among those considered gold standard treatment for this large group of patients.