The Effect of Docetaxel or Gemcitabine-based Chemotherapy in East Asian and Caucasian Patients

Docetaxel will be administered at a dose of 75 mg/m2 given as a 1-hour intravenous infusion on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. Docetaxel is re-constituted in 500 mL of normal saline and infused through a peripheral or central venous line. Docetaxel (Taxotere®, Sanofi-Aventis Inc.) is available in 80 mg and 20 mg in 2 mL polysorbate 80, 13% (w/w) ethanol in Water for Injection.

"Gemcitabine (Gemzar®, Lily Inc.) is available in vials containing 1000 mg or 200 mg of active drug formulated with mannitol (200 mg or 1 g, respectively) and sodium acetate (12.5 mg or 62.5 mg, respectively) as a sterile lyophilized powder.~Carboplatin (Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) is supplied as a 10 mg/mL aqueous solution. Unopened vials of gemcitabine are stable when stored at controlled room temperature at 25°C, protected from bright light. It can be diluted in normal saline or 5% dextrose. The solution remains stable for 8 hours at 25°C after reconstitution.~Carboplatin will be administered as a 1-hour infusion on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. It will be given before gemcitabine at the dose to achieve an AUC of 5 using the Calvert formula.~Gemcitabine will be administered as a 30-minute infusion at the dose of 1000 mg/m2 in 250 mL over 30 minutes, on day 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. It will be given after carboplatin infusion."