The role of docetaxel in nonplatinum-based combination chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer

A number of newer chemotherapeutic agents including docetaxel, gemcitabine, irinotecan, and vinorelbine have demonstrated substantial activity in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Their palliative role as single agents and in combination with platinum has been well defined in NSCLC. More recently, combining these agents without platinum has been the primary objective of numerous worldwide clinical trials. Two of these docetaxel/nonplatinum-based combinations have demonstrated comparable activity to platinum-based regimens in randomized trials. While platinum-based chemotherapy remains an important therapy for treatment of NSCLC, nonplatinum combinations may be a reasonable alternative for patients. These docetaxel/nonplatinum combinations warrant further evaluation in randomized trials to define their optimal role as standard therapy for NSCLC.