Preliminary results of neoadjuvant paclitaxel and carboplatin in the treatment of early stage non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of delivering neoadjuvant paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) and carboplatin to patients with clinical early stage (stage I and II) non-small cell lung cancer. Although neoadjuvant chemotherapy appears to prolong survival in patients with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer, several studies have demonstrated an increase in perioperative mortality associated with this approach. This study is designed to address whether three cycles of paclitaxel (200 mg/m2/3 hour, day 1) and carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve 5, day 2) can be given preoperatively to patients with clinical stage I and II non-small cell lung cancer and to assess the associated toxicities, pathologic response rate, disease-free survival, and overall survival of this group of patients. Thus far, five patients have been enrolled. Three have successfully undergone resection, with no perioperative complications noted. One patient had a pathologic complete remission and two had pathologic partial remissions. Preliminary results indicate that this approach is well tolerated and results in major tumor response.