Modelling an evaluation of the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine combined with platinum in the treatment of non‐small cell lung cancer

What is known and objectives Gemcitabine combined with platinum is currently the recommended first‐line chemotherapy for advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to quantitatively compare the efficacy and safety of gemcitabine‐platinum combinations in the treatment of advanced NSCLC under different dosing regimens based on extensive literature data. Methods The PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for clinical trials in patients with NSCLC treated with a gemcitabine‐platinum regimen. A parametric survival function was used to analyse the time course of overall survival (OS). The objective response rate (ORR) and the incidence of grade 3/4 adverse events were summarized using the random‐effects model of a single‐arm meta‐analysis. Results The study included 63 arms from 47 publications, with a total sample size of 4344 patients for analysis. The model revealed that East Asians has a better survival benefit than non‐East Asians, with a median OS of 16.4 (95% CI: 14.3–19.0) and 9.9 (95% CI: 8.1–12.4) months, respectively. Moreover, the OS of patients that underwent a 6‐cycle treatment was significantly longer than those that had a 4‐cycle treatment in non‐East Asians, with a median OS of 10.2 (95% CI: 9.5–11.1) and 8.4 (95% CI: 7.7–9.3) months, respectively. However, the incidence of neutropenia, nausea and vomiting also increased after 6 cycles of treatment. When the dose of gemcitabine increased from 1000 mg/m2 to 1250 mg/m2, the median OS was extended by approximately 1 month, but the incidence of grade 3/4 adverse reactions did not increase. What is new and conclusion Race is an important factor affecting OS in the treatment of advanced NSCLC, which should be considered when conducting international multicentre clinical trials. Additionally, this study found that the OS increased with an increase in gemcitabine exposure, so it is necessary to construct an exposure‐response model to obtain the best benefit‐risk ratio for patients. Race is an important factor affecting OS in the treatment of advanced NSCLC, which should be considered when conducting international multicentre clinical trials. Additionally, the OS increased with an increase in gemcitabine exposure, so it is necessary to construct an exposure‐response model to obtain the best benefit‐risk ratio for patients.