Last year in the UK over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials aimed at improving cancer treatments and making them available to all.
A trial looking at chemotherapy for non small cell lung cancer
Cancer type:
Lung cancer
Non small cell lung cancer
Status:
Results
Phase:
Phase 3
This trial compared a chemotherapy combination called MIC with gemcitabine and carboplatin. It was for people with advanced non small cell lung cancer.
Doctors sometimes use chemotherapy to treat advanced non small lung cancer. MIC is one of the standard chemotherapy combinations used. MIC is mitomycin, ifosfamide and cisplatin.
Doctors in this trial wanted to look at a newer combination of chemotherapy, using gemcitabine and carboplatin, to see how well it works for advanced non small lung cancer.
The aims of the trial were to find out
- If gemcitabine and carboplatin is better than MIC for advanced non small cell lung cancer
- More about the side effects and quality of life
Summary of results
The researchers found that gemcitabine and carboplatin is useful for treating advanced non small cell lung cancer.
The trial recruited 422 people. None of those who took part had had chemotherapy for non small lung cancer before. They had not had any radiotherapy for their cancer either. In this trial
- Half had MIC
- Half had gemcitabine and carboplatin
Most patients in both groups had 4 cycles of chemotherapy. The researchers analysed the results in 2005. They found around 4 in 10 people who had gemcitabine and carboplatin (40%) lived for more than one year compared to 3 in 10 people (30%) who had MIC.
The researchers also looked at quality of life. The people who had gemcitabine and carboplatin reported a better quality of life overall compared to the people who had MIC.
People who had gemcitabine and carboplatin had fewer problems with feeling or being sick, hair loss and constipation than people in the MIC group.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (
) and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Recruitment start:
Recruitment end:
How to join a clinical trial
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.
Chief Investigator
Dr Robin Rudd
Supported by
London Lung Cancer Group
National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN)
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Last review date
CRUK internal database number:
Oracle 188
Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.
Over 60,000 cancer patients enrolled on clinical trials in the UK last year.
