Single-agent compared to combination first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a performance status (PS) of 2

7637 Background: Impaired performance status in NSCLC is associated with poor prognosis and reduced tolerance for treatment- related toxicities. Current treatment guidelines agree that PS 2 patients with advanced NSCLC benefit from systemic chemotherapy; however, no consensus exists on specific treatment recommendations; i.e., single-agent vs. combination chemotherapy. Methods: Two recent phase III randomized trials in advanced NSCLC (STELLAR 3 and 4) enrolled exclusively PS 2 patients and compared experimental treatment to either standard combination chemotherapy (paclitaxel/carboplatin; P/C), or single agent chemotherapy (vinorelbine or gemcitabine; V or G). An exploratory comparison of the control arms was performed to determine the degree of benefit and amount of added toxicity associated with standard combination vs. single agent chemotherapy. Results: Combination chemotherapy resulted in improved time to progression compared to single agent (Table). However, no statistical difference between treatme...