Maintenance therapy in NSCLC: why? To whom? Which agent?

Table 1 Randomized or prolonged therapy in older chemotherapy regimens

Trial	N	Treatment arm	Completed treatment*	PFS	p	OS	P	References
Smith 2001	308	3 vs 6 mytomicin/cisplatin/vinblastine	72% vs 31%	5 mo vs 5	0.4	6 mo vs 7	0.2	[13]
Socinski 2002	230	4 Carboplatin/Paclitaxel vs Carboplatin/Paclitaxel until PD	57% vs 42%receiving >4cycles#	-	-	6.6 mo vs 8.5	0.63	[14]
Von Plessen 2006	297	3 vs 6 Carboplatin/Vinorelbine	78% vs 54%	16 wks vs 21	0.21	28 w vs 32	0.75	[15]
Park 2007	314	4 vs 6 cycles platinum-based therapy	68% vs 92%	4.6 mo vs 6.2	0.001	14.9 mo vs 15.9	0.41	[16]

PFS: progression free survival, OS: overall survival; PD: progressive disease; mo: months; wks: weeks;
*Percentage of patients who received the all planned courses of therapy
#the percentage of grade 2-4 neuropathy in four arm cycles was 19% versus 43% in eight arm cycles.

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