Comparison between cisplatin plus vinorelbine and cisplatin plus docetaxel in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Whether cisplatin plus vinorelbine (VC) or cisplatin plus docetaxel (DC) are equally effective in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the VC and DC regimens in the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC. A search was conducted through PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE and the Chinese Biomedical Literature database (CBM). The language of the publication was not considered to be a limitation. The recruited trials were evaluated for eligibility and quality and the data were extracted and analyzed. The endpoints were overall response, survival rate and toxicity. We analyzed 9 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), including a total of 1,886 patients. Patients receiving DC therapy exhibited a significantly higher response rate [relative risk (RR)=0.83, 95% CI: 0.73-0.95 and P=0.007] and 2-year survival rate (RR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.50-0.84 and P=0.001). However, the 1-year survival rate for the two cisplatin-based regimens were comparable (RR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.81-1.01 and P=0.07). Patients receiving the VC regimen more frequently developed grade 3/4 leucopenia, anemia and vomiting, whereas those receiving DC chemotherapy were more prone to grade 3/4 diarrhea. The incidence of grade 3/4 neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and nausea were similar between the two arms. In conclusion, our study indicated that DC is superior to the VC regimen in terms of tumor response rate, 2-year survival rate and safety for the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC.