Gemcitabine Plus Cisplatin Split Versus Gemcitabine Plus Carboplatin for Advanced Urothelial Cancer With Cisplatin-unfit Renal Function.

BACKGROUND: Combination chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin is the standard first-line treatment for advanced urinary tract urothelial cancer. Carboplatin is often substituted for cisplatin in patients who are cisplatin-ineligible, such as those with a glomerular filtration rate less than 60 ml/min. However, carboplatin-based chemotherapy has not been not confirmed as meeting the standard of care based on randomized controlled trials, and it is still unclear whether carboplatin can offer prognosis comparable to that with cisplatin.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with advanced urothelial cancer who underwent gemcitabine/cisplatin (GC) split or gemcitabine/ carboplatin (GCarbo) for renal dysfunction with a glomerular filtration rate of approximately 40-60 ml/min between 2008 and 2015 were chosen and reviewed using their charts. Patients with normal renal function treated with GC were also reviewed as a reference group.

RESULTS: A total of 41 patients, including 10 treated with GCsplit, 16 treated with GCarbo, and 15 treated with GC, were analyzed. The median overall and progression-free survival in GCsplit and GCarbo groups were 18.1 and 12.5 months (p=0.0454) and 9.9 and 6.4 months (p=0.0404), respectively. Neutropenia was relatively more severe in the GCsplit group than the GCarbo group (p=0.0103).

CONCLUSION: GCsplit may be a better treatment option for patients with advanced urothelial cancer with cisplatin-ineligible renal function. However, a prospective randomized controlled trial with a large-sized population is warranted to confirm our preliminary results.