Gemcitabine induction chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

Surgery has long been considered standard treatment in early stage non-small cell lung cancer. Preoperative chemotherapy is a real challenge in the treatment of these stages. Some conclusions can be drawn from the first phase II studies in stage IIIA tumors. Response rates were higher than those observed in stage IV tumors, reaching approximately 70%. Although toxicity seemed acceptable, increased morbidity and mortality have to be taken into account for the choice of preoperative regimens. Two randomized studies that included only a few patients were conducted in stage IIIA disease and showed highly positive survival results. The French randomized study argued in favor of preoperative chemotherapy with an absolute difference in survival rates that remains constant beyond the third year. New studies are ongoing to evaluate the role of the gemcitabine/cisplatin combination. Several phase II studies of this regimen in the preoperative setting or in combination with radiotherapy have been presented at the most recent meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. These studies confirmed both its efficacy and good tolerability. In several ongoing randomized studies, this combination has been chosen to test the concept of preoperative chemotherapy. One such study, which compares two different strategies of preoperative chemotherapy, is by the Intergroupe Francophone de Cancérologie Thoracique.