Enoxaparin Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) in Advanced Non Small Cell Lung Cancer: Effect on Survival and Symptom Control in Patients Undergoing First Line Chemotherapy (SYRINGES)

Rationale: a number of recent phase III randomized trials have shown a survival benefit of a treatment with subcutaneous low-molecular weight heparin in patients with advanced solid malignancies. The survival advantages observed in the studies persist for months after the active treatment with LMWHs. Therefore these survival advantages are thought to be due to effects of LMWHs on tumor cell biology. First line treatment of advanced NSCLC patients with the Cisplatin + Docetaxel combination has been widely studied, and is amongst the most active treatments currently available. The occurrence of grade 3/4 thrombopenia in several phase III trials was in the 0-3% range, making it an ideal chemotherapy regimen to combine with LMWHs in the treatment of advanced NSCLC.