Is weekly paclitaxel superior to paclitaxel given every 3 weeks? Results of a phase II trial.

Twenty-four patients previously treated with platinum containing regimens with stage IIIB-IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) participated in the study. Sequential cohorts of patients were treated with 60 and 90 mg/m(2) of Paclitaxel per week. Paclitaxel was administered weekly over 1 h infusion for 6 consecutive weeks followed by 2 weeks without treatment (8-week cycle). A total of 252 treatments were administered to the 24 patients. In 29 (12%) of 252 treatments grade 2 granulocytopenia was observed while four patients (17%) developed grade 2 neuropathy. Seven patients (29%) achieved a partial response and five (21%) had stable disease. Paclitaxel 90 mg/m(2) per week as salvage treatment is well tolerated and has shown promising activity in patients with NSCLC who progress after platinum treatment.