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Objective: The aim of the present study was to retrospectively assess the safety and efficacy of the combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin in elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: Patients ≧75 years with previously untreated NSCLC who underwent chemotherapy consisting of gemcitabine (800 mg/m² on days 1 and 8) and nedaplatin (80 mg/m² on day 1) every 3 weeks were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Of the 35 patients, 28 were men and 7 were women, with a mean age of 78 years (range 75–87); 10 patients had stage IIIB disease and 25 patients had stage IV disease. The overall response rate was 45.7% (95% confidence interval 28.8–63.4). The median survival time was 14 months (range 3–44). Grade 3–4 toxicities included neutropenia in 74.3%, thrombocytopenia in 48.6%, anemia in 34.3%, hepatic dysfunction in 11.4%, and infection in 2.9%. There were no treatment-related deaths. There were no differences in response rate and survival between patients aged 75–79 years and patients ≧80 years, although grade 3–4 thrombocytopenia and anemia were significantly more frequent in patients ≧80 years. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the combination of gemcitabine and nedaplatin is effective and well tolerated for selected elderly patients with advanced NSCLC.

Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have locally advanced disease with poor prognosis. Although concurrent chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment, more effective regimens are required. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy with a divided schedule of carboplatin and vinorelbine in patients with locally advanced NSCLC. Patients with unresectable, stage IIIA or IIIB NSCLC were eligible for enrollment if they exhibited a performance status of 0-2 and were ≤75 years of age. Patients were treated with carboplatin at an area under the plasma concentration vs. time curve of 2.5 mg/ml/min and vinorelbine at 20 mg/m on days 1 and 8 every 3 weeks. Thoracic radiotherapy at a total dose of 60 Gy was concurrently administered (2 Gy per fraction). Twenty-eight patients (23 men and 5 women; median age, 67 years; range 47-75 years) were enrolled in the present study. The overall response rate was 85.7% [95% confidence interval (CI), 67.3-96.0%] and the disease control rate was 96.4% (95% CI, 81.7-99.9%). The median survival time (MST) was 23 months and the median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 8 months. Grade 3-4 toxicities included neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia and infection in 100, 14, 46 and 36% of patients, respectively. One patient (4%) developed grade 3 radiation esophagitis that resolved completely without residual dilation. Grade 3 radiation pneumonitis occurred in 2 patients (7%); however, the symptoms and radiographic abnormalities subsided with corticosteroid therapy. In conclusion, concurrent chemoradiotherapy with a divided schedule of carboplatin and vinorelbine is well-tolerated and effective in patients with locally advanced NSCLC.

A 48-year-old woman with breast cancer overexpressing human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 was given eribulin mesylate, which induced pneumonia. Drug-induced pneumonia related to eribulin mesylate was diagnosed on the basis of clinical and radiographic findings and a positive reaction in the druginduced lymphocyte stimulating test. The symptoms and radiographic findings improved without corticosteroid therapy. Careful attention should be paid to the possible signs and symptoms of lung injury in patients who receive eribulin mesylate or other chemotherapeutic agents.

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