Objective: To study the reasonable dosage for paraplatin according to different dosage calculations.
Methods: A prospective, randomized, single-blinded study on 54 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with paraplatin was conducted. Patients were divided to 2 groups. In group A, paraplatin dosage was calculated according to patients' body surface, and in group B, it was calculated according to the area under the curve (AUS). Hematological toxicity, response rate and survival rate in the two groups of patients were compared.
Results: Neutropenia in group A and group B was seen in 77.8% and 37.0% (P < 0.05), and thrombocytopenia in 18.5% and 3.7% (P > 0.05) of patients, respectively. Hemoglobin decrease was seen in 48.2% of patients in both groups. The average quantity of paraplatin given in one cycle of treatment was 535.93 +/- 106.71 mg and 398.52 +/- 71.72 mg (P < 0.01) respectively. The average time interval between treatment cycles was 27.04 +/- 5.30 d and 22.85 +/- 2.80 d (P < 0.05). The response rate and survival rate of patients in group A and B were 22.2% versus 48.2% (P < 0.05), and 40.7% versus 44.4% (P > 0.05) respectively, but the median survival time was identical (12 months) in the two groups.
Conclusion: NSCLC patients given paraplatin with dosages calculated on the basis of AUC have higher response rate and less severe hematological toxicity than those given paraplatin with dosages on the basis of body surface. However, the median survival time and survival rate have no statistical differences between the two groups of patients.