Clinical and Immunologic Responses to a B-Cell Epitope Vaccine in Patients with HER2/neu-Overexpressing Advanced Gastric Cancer-Results from Phase Ib Trial IMU.ACS.001

PURPOSE

HER2/neu is overexpressed in up to 30% of gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas (GEA) and linked to poor prognosis. Recombinant mAbs to treat HER2/neu-overexpressing cancers are effective with limitations, including resistance and toxicity. Therefore, we developed a therapeutic B-cell epitope vaccine (IMU-131/HER-Vaxx) consisting of three fused B-cell epitopes from the HER2/neu extracellular domain coupled to CRM197 and adjuvanted with Montanide. This phase Ib study aimed to evaluate the optimal/safe dose leading to immunogenicity and clinical responses (https//clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02795988).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 14 patients with HER2/neu-overexpressing GEA were enrolled, and dose escalation (10, 30, 50 μg) was performed in three cohorts (C). Immunogenicity was evaluated by HER2-specific Abs and cellular responses, clinical responses by CT scans according to RECIST version 1.1.

RESULTS

IMU-131 was safe without vaccine-related significant local/systemic reactions or serious adverse events. A total of 11 of 14 patients were evaluable for changes in tumor size and vaccine-specific immune responses. One patient showed complete, 5 partial responses, and 4 stable diseases as their best response. HER2-specific IgG levels were dose dependent. In contrast to patients in C1 and C2, all patients in C3 mounted substantial HER2-specific Ab levels. In addition, cellular vaccine responses, such as Th1-biased cytokine ratios and reduced regulatory T cell numbers, were generated. Progression-free survival was prolonged in C3, correlating with the vaccine-specific humoral and cellular responses.

CONCLUSIONS

IMU-131 was well tolerated and safe. The induced HER2-specific Abs and cellular responses were dose dependent and correlated with clinical responses. The highest dose (50 μg) was recommended for further evaluation in a phase II trial, with chemotherapy + IMU-131 or chemotherapy alone, which is currently ongoing.

Open-label, phase IIa study of dabrafenib plus trametinib in East Asian patients with advanced BRAF V600-mutant cutaneous melanoma

PURPOSE

This study (NCT02083354) assessed the efficacy and safety of dabrafenib plus trametinib in East Asian patients with advanced BRAF V600-mutant cutaneous melanoma.

METHOD

Overall, 77 patients of East Asian origin (including 61 from Mainland China) with unresectable or metastatic BRAF V600-mutant cutaneous melanoma were enrolled. Prior treatment was allowed except with BRAF/MEK inhibitors. Patients received dabrafenib 150 mg twice daily and trametinib 2 mg once daily. The primary end-point was objective response rate (ORR) using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours 1.1. Secondary end-points were duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), pharmacokinetics and safety.

RESULTS

At data cutoff (February 23, 2018; median follow-up, 8.3 months), treatment was ongoing in 36 patients (47%). The median age was 52 years; 32% of patients had elevated lactate dehydrogenase, and 84% had received prior systemic therapy. ORR was 61% (95% confidence interval: 49.2-72.0), with four patients (5%) achieving complete response. Median DOR and PFS were 11.3 and 7.9 months, respectively. Median OS was not reached. The most common adverse event (AE) of any grade was pyrexia (56%). Grade ≥III AEs occurred in 29 patients (38%). The most common grade ≥III AEs were pyrexia (8%) and anaemia (6%). AEs led to permanent discontinuation in five patients (6.5%). Mean C_max for dabrafenib and trametinib was 3560 and 11.5 ng/mL (day 1) and 2680 and 27.1 ng/mL (day 15), respectively.

CONCLUSION

These results support the efficacy and tolerability of dabrafenib in combination with trametinib in East Asian patients with unresectable or metastatic BRAF V600-mutant cutaneous melanoma.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the efficacy of combination olanzapine, ondansetron and dexamethasone for prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients receiving doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide

BACKGROUND

Since most of Thai cancer patients receiving high emetogenic chemotherapy do not have access to neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor antagonists or palonosetron as recommended by international guidelines for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) prevention. We decided to evaluate the efficacy of olanzapine with the real-life practice antiemetic drugs ondansetron and dexamethasone, in prevention of CINV resulting from doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide regimen in early-stage breast cancer patients.

METHODS

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we compared olanzapine with a placebo in combination with ondansetron and dexamethasone in early-stage breast cancer patients receiving doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 plus cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2. The intervention group received olanzapine 10 mg orally while the control group received a matching placebo daily on day 1 through day 4. All patients received ondansetron 8 mg and dexamethasone 20 mg intravenously 30 minutes before chemotherapy administration and then dexamethasone 10 mg daily orally from day 1 through day 4. The primary endpoint was no nausea rate in the early period. The secondary endpoints were no nausea rate in the delayed and overall periods and a complete response (no vomiting and no use of rescue drug). Outcomes were determined by patients' self-reported daily records of episodes of vomiting or retching, use of rescue therapy and daily levels of nausea based on a visual-analogue scale from the first cycle of chemotherapy.

RESULTS

A total of 39 female patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive olanzapine (20 patients) or a matching placebo (19 patients). A significantly greater proportion of patients reported no nausea in the olanzapine group than in the placebo group in both the early period (0-24 hours after chemotherapy) and the overall period (0-120 hours after chemotherapy). Patients who reported no nausea in the early period accounted for 50% and 10.5% in the olanzapine group and in the placebo group respectively (P=0.008). In the overall period, 30.0% and 0% of patients reported no nausea in the olanzapine and placebo groups respectively (P=0.009). In the early period, there was a significantly different complete response rate between two treatment groups; 75.0% in the olanzapine group and 36.8% in the placebo group (P=0.016). Overall treatment-related adverse events were not significantly different between the two study groups except that somnolence was significantly more common in the olanzapine group than in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

Olanzapine 10 mg combined with ondansetron and dexamethasone was more effective than a placebo in preventing CINV resulting from doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide in early-stage breast cancer patients, especially in the first 24 hours after chemotherapy administration. The short duration of olanzapine was safe and well tolerated.

Abstract CT059: A Phase Ib open label multicenter study with a HER2/neu peptide vaccine administered with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine chemotherapy shows safety, immunogenicity and clinical response in patients with HER2/Neu overexpressing advanced cancer of the stomach

Background: HER2/neu is overexpressed in 15-25% of gastric cancer patients and associated with poor prognosis. Alternative treatments to monoclonal antibodies are needed due to cost and global availability issues of mAbs. Thus a B-cell peptide vaccine (IMU-131) was developed, consisting of 3 fused B-cell epitopes (p467) from the HER2/neu extracellular domain coupled to CRM197 applied with the adjuvant Montanide. The current study evaluated the optimal and safe vaccine dose leading to immunogenicity and clinical responses.

Material & Methods: In an open-label multicenter Phase Ib trial in SE-Asia and Eastern Europe, 14 patients with HER2/neu overexpressing (++/+++) gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma were recruited to receive 3 injections of IMU-131 (days 0, 14, 35) in combination with chemotherapy (CT) every 21 days. Dose escalation with 10 µg, 30 µg and 50 µg was performed in 3 cohorts. Safety, immunogenicity and clinical responses were evaluated.

Results: No SAEs related to administration of IMU-131 were reported. Eleven of 14 patients were evaluable for vaccine-specific immune responses and 10 for tumor growth assessment. Higher p467- and Her-2 specific IgG levels were observed in cohort 2 (30 µg/dose) compared to cohort 1 (10 µg/dose). Two of five patients in cohort 2 showed minimal antibody titers. In contrast, all patients in cohort 3 (50µg/dose) responded to the vaccine with equally high antibody levels. Response rate was an exploratory endpoint and of 10 evaluable patients, 5 patients showed partial response and 4 patients showed stable disease. In cohort 3 the high antibody levels correlated with clinical response, while in cohort 2 only moderate correlations between humoral and clinical responses were observed. In cohort 1 partial response did not correlate with Ab levels, but rather with a high percentage of CD8 T-cells and increased inflammatory cytokine levels (high IFN-γ and TNF-α/IL-10 ratio).

Conclusions: The vaccine was well tolerated and safe with antibody responses at the highest dose (50 µg) showing a strong correlation with clinical responses. Thus, a dose of 50 µg was recommended for further evaluation in Phase II, featuring two arms of either IMU 131 plus CT or CT alone. We propose that this vaccine might be of significant medical benefit and further trials are warranted.

Citation Format: Ursula Wiedermann, Erika Garner-Spitzer, Yee Chao, Iurie Bulat, Arunee Dechaphunkul, Wichit Arpornwirat, Chaiyut Charoentum, Chia-Jui Yen, Thomas Cheung Yau, Marina Maglakelidze, Suebpong Tanasanvimon, Jedzada Maneechavakajorn, Aumkhae Sookprasert, Li-Yuan Bai, Wen-Chi Chou, Teerapat Ungtrakul, Christoph C. Zielinski, Leslie Chong, Nick Ede, Anthony J Good. A Phase Ib open label multicenter study with a HER2/neu peptide vaccine administered with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine chemotherapy shows safety, immunogenicity and clinical response in patients with HER2/Neu overexpressing advanced cancer of the stomach [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr CT059.

A phase Ib study of IMU-131 HER2/neu peptide vaccine plus chemotherapy in patients with HER2/neu overexpressing metastatic or advanced adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction

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Background: Gastric cancer is the 5th most common cancer and the 3rd leading cause of cancer deaths. HER2/neu is overexpressed in 15% - 25% of patients with gastric cancer. Monoclonal antibodies against HER2/neu are effective but alternatives are needed due to cost and global availability. IMU-131 is a B-cell peptide vaccine composed of a fusion of 3 epitopes from the extracellular domain of HER2/neu conjugated to CRM197 with the adjuvant Montanide. Polyclonal antibodies against IMU-131 peptides elicit antitumor activity in vitro and a phase I study demonstrated safety and immunogenicity in Her-2 +/++ breast cancer patients. Methods: IMU-131 was given to patients with HER2/neu overexpressing gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma in an international open-label Phase 1b dose escalation trial performed in 14 Asian and Eastern European sites assessing safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity. Each patient received IMU-131 on Days 0, 14, and 35, accompanied by cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine every 21 days. Results: 14 patients were enrolled with advanced stage IIIb or IV with 10 HER2 overexpressing tumors (7 x HER2+++, 3 x HER2++ FISH positive) and 4 HER2++ expressing tumors. Mean age was 57 yo (range of 21 - 79) with ECOG scores of 0 or 1 in 7 patients each. There were 9 Asian and 5 Caucasian patients with 5 females and 9 males. Dose levels were 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 mg with 3, 6, and 5 patients receiving those dose levels each. 11 patients received all 3 doses with 3 patients who received only 2 doses due to disease progression and 2 patients received a dose on day 182. Of the 14 patients dosed 11 were evaluable for tumor progression at day 56 and later. Of those patients, the best response was 1 CR, 4 PR,5 SD and 1 PD. In the 0.1 mg dose group the best response was 1 CR and 2 SD, with 2 PR, 2 SD and 1 PD in the 0.3 mg group and 2 PR and 1 SD in the 0.5 mg group. In patients with HER2 overexpression there was 1 CR, 4 PR, 2 SD and 1 PD, and in patients with HER2++ expression there was 3 SD. There were no SAEs related to IMU-131 and 1 patient had a mild injection site reaction. Conclusions: IMU-131 is a promising B-Cell vaccine against HER2. Further work in a controlled phase 2 trial is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT02795988.

A phase Ib/II open label study of IMU-131 HER2/Neu peptide vaccine plus cisplatin and either 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine chemotherapy in patients with HER2/Neu overexpressing metastatic or advanced adenocarcinoma of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction

TPS176

Background: Gastric cancer is the 5th most frequently diagnosed cancer and the 3rd leading cause of cancer deaths. HER2/neu is overexpressed in 15% to 25% of patients with gastric cancer and associated with a poor prognosis. Monoclonal antibodies against HER2/neu have been shown to be effective but alternative treatments are needed due to cost and global availability issues. IMU-131 is a B-cell peptide vaccine composed of 3 B cell epitopes derived from the extracellular domain of HER2/neu. Polyclonal antibodies against IMU-131 peptides binding 3 separate regions (DIII, IV) of HER2/neu have been shown to elicit antitumor activity in vitro and a phase I study demonstrated safety and immunogenicity in Her-2 +/++ metastatic breast cancer patients. Fusion of the single peptides into a hybrid peptide conjugated to CRM197 in conjunction with the adjuvant Montanide (P467-CRM-Montanide) improved formulation and stability of the vaccine. With the present Phase 1b/2 trial performed in patients with HER2/neu overexpressing gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma, we hypothesized that administration of IMU-131 in addition to chemotherapy is safe and immunogenic, and will prolong survival and may delay tumor progression and/or reduce tumor burden. Methods: This study is an international open-label multicenter study performed in 16 Asian and Eastern European sites with a maximum of 18 patients enrolled in Phase 1b. This dose escalation study is designed to assess safety, tolerability, immunogenicity and recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) of IMU-131. Each patient is administered three injections of IMU-131, at a single dose level on Days 0, 14, and 35, accompanied by chemotherapy cycles of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine every 21 days. The RP2D will be evaluated in the dose expansion Phase 2 study with 68 patients being enrolled. Results: The study is ongoing with the completion of the phase 1b portion in 4Q18. Conclusions: No conclusions can be drawn at this time. Clinical trial information: NCT02795988.

Clonal Evolutionary Analysis during HER2 Blockade in HER2-Positive Inflammatory Breast Cancer: A Phase II Open-Label Clinical Trial of Afatinib +/- Vinorelbine

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer associated with HER2 amplification, with high risk of metastasis and an estimated median survival of 2.9 y. We performed an open-label, single-arm phase II clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01325428) to investigate the efficacy and safety of afatinib, an irreversible ErbB family inhibitor, alone and in combination with vinorelbine in patients with HER2-positive IBC. This trial included prospectively planned exome analysis before and after afatinib monotherapy.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

HER2-positive IBC patients received afatinib 40 mg daily until progression, and thereafter afatinib 40 mg daily and intravenous vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 weekly. The primary endpoint was clinical benefit; secondary endpoints were objective response (OR), duration of OR, and progression-free survival (PFS). Of 26 patients treated with afatinib monotherapy, clinical benefit was achieved in 9 patients (35%), 0 of 7 trastuzumab-treated patients and 9 of 19 trastuzumab-naïve patients. Following disease progression, 10 patients received afatinib plus vinorelbine, and clinical benefit was achieved in 2 of 4 trastuzumab-treated and 0 of 6 trastuzumab-naïve patients. All patients had treatment-related adverse events (AEs). Whole-exome sequencing of tumour biopsies taken before treatment and following disease progression on afatinib monotherapy was performed to assess the mutational landscape of IBC and evolutionary trajectories during therapy. Compared to a cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) patients with HER2-positive non-IBC, HER2-positive IBC patients had significantly higher mutational and neoantigenic burden, more frequent gain-of-function TP53 mutations and a recurrent 11q13.5 amplification overlapping PAK1. Planned exploratory analysis revealed that trastuzumab-naïve patients with tumours harbouring somatic activation of PI3K/Akt signalling had significantly shorter PFS compared to those without (p = 0.03). High genomic concordance between biopsies taken before and following afatinib resistance was observed with stable clonal structures in non-responding tumours, and evidence of branched evolution in 8 of 9 tumours analysed. Recruitment to the trial was terminated early following the LUX-Breast 1 trial, which showed that afatinib combined with vinorelbine had similar PFS and OR rates to trastuzumab plus vinorelbine but shorter overall survival (OS), and was less tolerable. The main limitations of this study are that the results should be interpreted with caution given the relatively small patient cohort and the potential for tumour sampling bias between pre- and post-treatment tumour biopsies.

CONCLUSIONS

Afatinib, with or without vinorelbine, showed activity in trastuzumab-naïve HER2-positive IBC patients in a planned subgroup analysis. HER2-positive IBC is characterized by frequent TP53 gain-of-function mutations and a high mutational burden. The high mutational load associated with HER2-positive IBC suggests a potential role for checkpoint inhibitor therapy in this disease.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01325428.

Survival and prognostic factors of stage I-III breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

To determine the survival duration of stage I-III breast cancer patients, and to determine prognostic factors for overall survival and disease-free survival in stage I to III breast cancer patients treated with surgery and adjuvant therapy.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

This retrospective cohort study was conducted by reviewing 166files of stage I-III breast cancer patients treated with surgery and adjuvant therapy in the Oncology Unit, Department of Medicine, Rajavithi Hospital from January 1st 1998 to December 31st 2007.

RESULTS

There were 166 patients whose median age was 48 years. The 5-year overall survival rates for stage I, stage II and stage III were 100.0%, 89.0% and 80.8% respectively (p = 0.11). Multivariate analysis showed that pathological lymph node pN2 status was a significant poor prognostic factor for overall survival (HR = 4.32, 95% CI 1.24-15.04; p = 0.022). The one-, three- and five-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 96.7%, 81.4% and 76.7% respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that pathological pN2 (HR = 4.43, 95% CI 1.44-13.57; p = 0.009), pN3 (HR = 5.16, 95% CI 1.54-17.30; p = 0.008) and progesterone receptor status negative (HR = 5.53, 95% CI 1.85-16.59; p = 0.002) were poor prognostic factors for disease-free survival.

CONCLUSION

The most important prognostic factor affecting disease-free survival and overall survival of stage I-III breast cancer patients was axillary lymph node metastasis. Progesterone receptor status negative influenced disease relapse. Patients with multiple unfavorable risk factors such as lymph node metastasis and progesterone receptor status negative showed poor DFS, and therefore more aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy is required for these patients.

Prognostic factors for survival in colorectal cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prognostic value for survival of pretreatment characteristics and treatments in stage 1-IV colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The present retrospective cohort study was conducted by reviewing 287files of stage I-IV CRC patients. Fifteen clinical variables were investigated through analysis as prognostic factors for survival.

RESULTS

The median survival time for CRC patients, colon and rectal cancer patients were 37.2, 43.2, and 29.5 months respectively The 5-year survival rates of CRC patients were 38.6%. 5-year stage-specific survivals for stage I, II, III and IV CRC were 100%, 68%, 44%, and 2% respectively (p < 0.001). Sixty eight percent of CRC patients were in stages III and IV Multivariate analysis revealed age > or =60 years old, WHO performance status 3, stage III and IV disease and poorly differentiated histology as poor prognostic factors for survival, whereas treatment with complete surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy was a good prognostic factor for survival in CRC.

CONCLUSION

As the majority of patients were in advanced stages with poor prognosis, early stage disease identification and treatment with newer agents would likely improve survival of high-risk CRC patients.

Prognostic factors for survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

To determine the prognostic value for survival of various pretreatment characteristics and treatments in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

The retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the 81 files of advanced NSCLC patients treated with chemotherapy at the Oncology Unit, Rajavithi Hospital. Eighteen clinical variables were investigated and analysed as prognostic factors for survival.

RESULTS

The first chemotherapy regimens for the 81 patients included: etoposide plus platinum derivatives (41), new drugs (taxanes or gemcitabine) plus platinum derivatives (39) and one other platinum based regimen (1). The overall survival time for all patients was 39.4 weeks with a 95% confidence interval of 30 to 49 weeks. In the multivariate analysis, male gender; bone metastasis and liver metastasis are poor prognostic factors. Receiving palliative surgery and achieving objective response to first regimen chemotherapy are good prognostic factors. Patients who received either old or new drug combinations showed no difference in their survival as determined by univariate or multivariate analyses which could be due to limitations in the present retrospective study. However; this may show that regimens consisting of older, less expensive drug combinations still provide survival advantages in advanced NSCLC and should be considered in limited financial circumstances.

Quality of life, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General

Research on quality of life (QOL) in Thailand is still in its developing stages and requires cross-culturally valid QOL questionnaires to appropriately assess QOL as an endpoint in research and clinical trials. The English-language version of the FACT-G (Version 4) questionnaire was translated into Thai using an iterative forward-backward translation process. To determine if this instrument could cross a broad cultural divide and be used in Thailand, the reliability and validity of its Thai version was studied. The translated questionnaire was administered to 364 cancer patients. In evaluating its psychometric properties, internal consistency by Cronbach's alpha and test/retest reliability measured by Spearman rank-correlation coefficients were used. Cronbach's alpha coefficient ranged from 0.75 to 0.90. Spearman rank-correlation coefficient value for global QOL was 0.80. Validity was checked using two methods: factor analysis and known-groups comparison. Known-groups comparison analysis showed discrimination between subgroups of patients differing in clinical status as defined by disease stage (stage I/II vs stage III/IV, p < 0.001), treatment status (active treatment vs no treatment, p < 0.05), and financial burden (yes vs no, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the finding of this study indicate that the Thai version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) is a reliable and valid measure of quality of life in cancer patients and can be used in clinical trials and studies of outcomes research in oncology.

Phase II study of paclitaxel and carboplatin for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

A prospective phase II study was conducted to determine the response, toxicity and survival rate of lung cancer patients treated with combination paclitaxel and carboplatin in stage IIIB and IV NSCLC. Eligible patients required measurable and/or evaluable diseases; performance status (ECOG) 0-2; no previous chemotherapy; adequate hepatic, renal and bone marrow function. Paclitaxel was administered at a dose of 200 mg/m2, 3 h infusion, followed by carboplatin at an AUC of 6. Treatment was repeated every 3 weeks for six courses. G-CSF 5 microgram/kg was subcutaneously injected during subsequent courses if there was grade 3-4 leucopenia or granulocytopenia in the previous course. From April 1996 through July 1997, 53 patients were enrolled; all are assessable for toxicity and response. The median age was 56 years (range, 20-77 years). Sixty four percent were male, 64% had adenocarcinoma and 62% had stage IV disease. Two hundred and seventy two courses were administered; 36 patients (68%) completed all six cycles. Two patients achieved a complete response (4%) and 27 patients achieved a partial response (51%), for an overall response rate of 55%. Sixteen patients had stable disease (30%) and 8 patients had progressive disease (15%). The median progression free survival time for all patients, stage IIIB and stage IV patients was 28 weeks (range, 18-37 weeks), 31 weeks (range 21-41 weeks) and 22 weeks (range 16-29 weeks), respectively. The median survival time and 1 year survival rate for all patients was 55 weeks (range, 51-59 weeks) and 55%, respectively. Stage IIIB patients had better median survival time and 1-year survival rate than stage IV patients (75 vs. 46 weeks, P = 0.007; 80% vs. 42%, P = 0.003). Grade 3 and 4 granulocytopenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 25, 3, and 1%, respectively, of the 272 courses administered. G-CSF was required in 28% of the 272 courses. There were four episodes of febrile neutropenia (1.5%), three episodes of angina pectoris (1%) and one episode of anaphylaxis (0.4%). Other common toxicities, generally mild, included myalgia, arthralgia, peripheral neuropathy and asthenia. Most toxicities showed cumulative effect. Paclitaxel plus carboplatin is a moderately active regimen in advanced NSCLC. Toxicities of this regimen are well tolerated.