Background: Understanding of the molecular basis of lung cancer have led to the development of targeted agents with a significant clinical benefit. This benefit is confined to patients with specific molecular tumor characteristics. However, chemotherapy represents backbone of treatment in fit patients and is associated with a significant overall survival prolongation and quality of life improvement. Aim: to evaluate the effect a continuation maintenance therapy with paclitaxel in advanced NSCLC patients with weekly paclitaxel. Patients and Methods: The current study included patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (stage IIIB or IV) with performance status ≤ 2 who experienced good initial good response, or stable disease after receiving 4 cycles of paclitaxel carboplatin. Patients were randomized into 2 arms, the first arm received weekly paclitaxel (70 mg/m 2) as continuation maintenance therapy for 3 weeks of 4 weeks cycle. The treatment was continued till disease progression or unacceptable toxicity (maintenance arm). The second arm was kept under observation (observation arm). Results: There were better lung cancer symptoms scale in maintenance arm. Both time to progression and overall survival for the maintenance arm was higher (P value 0.16 and 0.047, respectively). Treatment related toxicities were significantly higher in the maintenance arm as compared to the observation arm (P value <0.001). Conclusion: Maintenance with paclitaxel can be a reasonable option in patients with NSCLC who experienced complete or partial response after initial paclitaxel carboplatin combination.
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