[Efficacy study of single-agent gemcitabine versus gemcitabine plus carboplatin in untreated elderly patients with stage IIIb/IV non-small-cell lung cancer].

Objective: To explore a chemotherapeutic regimen suitable for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in elderly patients.

Methods: A total of 68 elderly patients with NSCLC (stage IIIb/IV) were equally and randomly divided into single-agent and combined groups. Patients in single-agent group received gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) at Days 1 and 8 for a 21-day cycle.