[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. Those in combined group received gemcitabine 1000 mg/m(2) at Days 1 and 8 in combination carboplatin AUC5 at Day 2 for a 21-day cycle. The drugs were intravenously administered. All patients received 3 cycles of treatment.

Results: In single-agent and combined groups, CR 1 and 1, PR 12 and 13, response rates 38% and 41% were respectively observed. There was no statistically significant difference between two groups (P > 0.05). The 1-year and 2-year survival rates of single-agent and combined groups were 31% vs 32% and 12% vs 14% with a median survival of 9.9 and 9.8 months without a statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). The rates of leucopenia and thrombocytopenia (III-IV degree) were 47% and 38% in combined group and they were higher than 24% and 15% in single-agent group with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The observer scale of lung cancer symptom scale showed that the post-treatment scores of appetite, fatigue and pain significantly improved in single-agent group while no improvement was observed in combined group. Also the scores of appetite, fatigue and pain of single-agent group were higher than those of combined group after chemotherapy (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Single-agent gemcitabine regimen is more suitable for advanced NSCLC in elderly patients.