Objective    To compare the effect and safety of gemcitabine (GP) or docetaxel (DP) in combination with cisplatin for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).     Methods     Randomized controlled trials were searched from the Cochrane Library (first issue in 2010)

PubMed

CBM

CNKI

and Wanfang databases and evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration’s software RevMan 5.0.     Results    Sixteen studies involving 1670 patients with NSCLC were included in this study. The blinding method was not reported in these studies. The median survival time

median disease progression time

effective rate (RR=1.02

95%CI=0.89 and 1.15)

and 1- and 2-year survival rates (RR=1.07

95%CI=0.93 and 1.24; RR=1.02

95%CI=0.66 and 1.58) of patients with NSCLC were similar for the DP or GP in combination with cisplatin. The incidence of severe (3 to 4 grade) thrombocytopenia (RR=5.22

95%CI=2.97 and 9.18)

anemia (RR=1.76

95%CI=1.30 and 2.38)

nausea and vomiting (RR=1.29

95%CI=1.04 and 1.60) was higher in combined GP and cisplatin regimen than in combined DP and cisplatin regimen

while the incidence of severe leukocytopenia (RR=0.71

95%CI=0.56 and 0.89) and diarrhea (RR=0.30，95%CI=0.15 and 0.60) was lower in combined GP and cisplatin regimen than in combined DP and cisplatin regimen.     Conclusion    The effect of the two regimens is similar for advanced NSCLC. The selection of them depends on the toxicity of drugs used and the tolerance of patients.