Combination therapy of platinum and gemcitabine (GEM) is a standard regimen for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the treatment plan of this combination therapy might need to be changed due to blood toxicity and other side effect symptoms. There are many reports on the side effects of cancer chemotherapy, but there are few reports that examine gender differences. In this study, we carried out a retrospective analysis of the relationship between gender difference and hematological toxicity in combination therapy of platinum and GEM in 34 patients (22 males and 12 females).
There were no differences in age groups between BMI and each drug dose. On the eighth day of treatment, the incident rates of leucopenia (p=0.013) and neutropenia (p=0.039) were significantly higher in women than in men. As a result, the rate of GEM canceled on the eighth day of treatment was significantly higher in women than in men. (p=0.039)
These results suggest that gender difference is a potentially useful factor for predicting hematotoxicity due to combination therapy of platinum and GEM. These findings suggest the necessity of dosage adjustment considering gender in GEM-containing chemotherapy for NSCLC.