Weekly docetaxel in the treatment of elderly patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Weekly administration of docetaxel was found to reduce myelosuppression and other nonhematologic toxicities when compared with administration every 3 weeks. In the current Phase II trial, the authors evaluated the feasibility, toxicity, and efficacy of weekly docetaxel in the treatment of elderly patients with newly diagnosed advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with advanced, previously untreated nonsmall cell lung carcinoma entered this Phase II trial between February 1998 and January 1999. Patients were required either to be age >/= 65 years or to be poor candidates for combination chemotherapy due to coexistent medical illnesses. All patients received docetaxel, 36 mg/m(2), administered weekly for 6 consecutive weeks, followed by 2 weeks without treatment. Patients were reevaluated after 8 weeks of treatment; responding patients continued weekly docetaxel for a maximum of 32 weeks or until disease progression. RESULTS: Weekly docetaxel was well tolerated by this elderly group of patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma. Grade 3 leukopenia was noted in only 3 patients (8%), and no patient developed Grade 4 myelosuppression. Grade 3/4 nonhematologic toxicity also was uncommon; fatigue/asthenia was reported in 4 patients (10%). Seven of 38 evaluable patients (18%) had objective responses to weekly docetaxel whereas an additional 13 patients (34%) had a minor response or stable disease at first reevaluation. The median survival in this group of elderly patients was 5 months, with a 1-year actuarial survival rate of 27%. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study show that weekly docetaxel is active and well tolerated in elderly patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma and provides an additional treatment option for these patients, who often tolerate combination chemotherapy regimens poorly.