Adjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel for non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract

We conducted weekly administration of paclitaxel in the outpatient clinic as an adjuvant chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer. From 2001 to 2006, 19 patients were treated. A paclitaxel dose of 80mg/m² was administrated every week 12 times. Only 4 patients completed this protocol. The total administrated dose was 843±115mg/m² in 9 patients who completed 12 weeks of administration, and 390±213mg/m² in 10 patients who did not fully complete this protocol. Five patients died of cancer during 6-69 months of follow-up (average: 29 months), yielding a 5-year survival rate of 65.5%. Adjuvant chemotherapy with paclitaxel appears to have a potential to improve the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer when administrated following a protocol with a good compliance rate.