Front-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with MTA (LY231514, Pemetrexed disodium, ALIMTATM) and cisplatin: A multicenter phase II trial

Background:To evaluate the activity of MTA plus cisplatin inchemotherapy-naïve patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients and methods:Thirty-six chemotherapy-naïve patientswith NSCLC received 500 mg/m² MTA plus 75 mg/m²cisplatin every 21 days, with 4 mg dexamethasone orally twice daily on the daybefore, of, and after MTA administration. Results:Median age was 58 years. WHO performance status was0–2. Eighteen patients each had stage IIIB and IV disease. Seventeenpatients each had squamous-cell and adenocarcinoma; two had undifferentiateddisease. Fourteen patients (39%; 95% confidence interval:23%–57%) showed partial response; seventeen (47%)had stable disease. Median survival was 10.9 months. Twenty-one patients(59%) experienced grade 3 or 4 granulocytopenia without fever orinfection. Five (14%) and six (17%) patients experienced grade3 anemia and grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia, respectively. Nonhematologicaltoxicities included grade 3 nausea in two patients (6%), and grade 3and 4 diarrhea in one patient (3%) each. One patient each experiencedgrade 4 ALT and grade 3 bilirubin and AST elevations. Conclusions:MTA plus cisplatin is well tolerated and activeagainst NSCLC. Further studies of this combination are warranted.