[Safety evaluation of adjuvant chemotherapy by weekly paclitaxel combined with weekly carboplatin in patients with postoperative non-small cell lung cancer].

Favorable results of various comparative studies have been reported in recent years regarding adjuvant chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), resulting in an increase in the number of facilities that proactively conduct adjuvant chemotherapy in Japan. In the present study, we evaluate the tolerability of a postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy regimen conducted in our facility using paclitaxel (PTX) and carboplatin (CBDCA). Thirteen patients who received weekly PTX and CBDCA as postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated retrospectively. PTX was administered by iv drip infusion over 1 hour at 70-80 mg/m(2), followed by CBDCA at AUC= 2 by iv drip infusion over 1 hour. This was repeated on Days 1, 8 and 15, followed by a rest on Day 22. Two to 4 cycles were conducted in each patient. Patients were admitted only the first time, and treatment was thereafter conducted on an outpatient basis. The scheduled number of cycles could be completed in all but one patient who developed interstitial pneumonia 2 days after treatment. Non-hematologic toxicities observed included peripheral neuropathy in 3 patients, nausea in 2, general fatigue in 6, stomatitis in 2, and alopecia in 11. Hematologic toxicities include leukopenia in 10, but leukopenia was not febrile, Grade 3 or more severe in any of these patients. In addition, decreases in hemoglobin and thrombopenia were observed in 10 and 2 patients, respectively, but both adverse events were mild (< Grade 3) and could be controlled on an outpatient basis in all cases. Our findings suggested that adjuvant chemotherapy using weekly PTX/weekly CBDCA for NSCLC is well tolerated and can be safely conducted on an outpatient basis.