“…For vinorelbine/platinum combinations, recent phase III studies have yielded median survival data ranging from 6.5 to 11 months (Wozniak et al, 1998;Kelly et al, 2001;Scagliotti et al, 2002;Fossella et al, 2003;Gebbia et al, 2003;Georgoulias et al, 2005;Martoni et al, 2005;Tan et al, 2005;Plessen et al, 2006). In the gemcitabine/platinum metaanalysis (Le Chevalier et al, 2005), median survival in the gemcitabine group was 9 months, reflecting the mean value for a number of studies (Le Chevalier et al, 1994;Cardenal et al, 1999;Sandler et al, 2000;Scagliotti et al, 2002;Schiller et al, 2002;Alberola et al, 2003;Gebbia et al, 2003;Smit et al, 2003;Zatloukal et al, 2003;Martoni et al, 2005;Rudd et al, 2005;Sederholm et al, 2005). Our shorter median survival is possibly explained by the high proportion of patients with PS 2 (28%), which is the most powerful predictor of survival in NSCLC patients (Stanley, 1980).…”