CAPPA-2: Cisplatin Added to Gemcitabine in Poor Performance Advanced NSCLC Patients

Performance status is one of the most important prognostic factors for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), regardless of treatment received. Chemotherapy is recommended for advanced NSCLC patients in good clinical condition, but it is not clear how much benefit is gained from giving chemotherapy to patients in poor general condition (performance status 2). This category of patients represents about 20% of all patients at initial diagnosis of NSCLC, and remains a treatment challenge for the clinician. There have been very few studies that have evaluated the impact of chemotherapy for this group of patients, and there is no established standard therapy. Studies evaluating single agent and combination two-agent chemotherapy regimens' impact on survival and improving symptoms are needed.