Weekly gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the urothelium: A phase II clinical trial

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the efficacy of gemcitabine and cisplatin combination therapy in patients with advanced and/or metastatic transitional cell urothelial carcinoma. Patients and methods: Forty-two chemonaive patients with Karnofsky performance status (KPS) ≥70 were treated with cisplatin 35 mg/m2 followed by gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 (30 min i.v. infusion) on days 1, 8, and 15 every twenty-eight days. Results: Thirty-eight patients were evaluable for efficacy. Half had visceral disease. There were seven complete (18%) and nine partial responses (24%), for a response rate of 42% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 26%-59%). Responses were independently reviewed. Median response duration was 13.5 months (95% CI: 8.5-18.1 months), median time to progressive disease 7.2 months (95% CI: 4.0- 9.1 months) and median survival 12.5 months (95% CI: 8.1-18.7 months); one-year survival was 52%. Laboratory toxicities included leucopenia (44% grade 3; 17% grade 4), neutropenia (25% grade 3; 33% grade 4) and thrombocytopenia (29% grade 3; 49% grade 4). Four patients had grade 4 symptomatic toxicity (three nausea and vomiting, one diarrhoea). There were no grade 4 infections and no toxic deaths. Conclusions: The combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin is active in patients with locally advanced and/or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. The weekly schedule of cisplatin is considered inappropriate.