OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and toxic side effects of gemcitabine combined with cisplatin (GP) and paclitaxel combined with carboplatin (TP) in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 87 patients with stage IIIB and IV NSCLC admitted to our department from July 2004 to July 2006. 45 patients in the GP regimen group were treated with gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8 and cisplatin 25 mg/m2 intravenously on days 8-10; 42 patients in the TP regimen group were treated with paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 intravenously on day 1 and carboplatin (AUC=5) intravenously on day 1. day 1 intravenous drip. Both groups were treated for 21 days for 1 cycle, and evaluated after 2 to 4 cycles of treatment. Immediate efficacy was evaluated as complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR), stable (SD) and progressive disease (PD); long-term efficacy evaluation indexes included time to disease progression (TTP), median survival (MST) and 1-year survival rate. Toxic side effects evaluation indexes included bone marrow toxicity, gastrointestinal reactions, peripheral neuritis, etc. Results: 1 case of CR, 17 cases of PR, 15 cases of SD, 12 cases of PD in the GP regimen group, with an overall effective rate (RR) of 40.0%; TTP of 4.1 months, MST of 9.4 months, and 1-year survival rate of 46.3%. 1 case of CR, 14 cases of PR, 18 cases of SD, 9 cases of PD in the TP regimen group, with an overall effective rate (RR) of 35.7%; TTP of 4.3 months, MST TTP was 4.3 months, MST was 8.9 months, and the 1-year survival rate was 42.3%. There was no statistical difference in RR, TTP, MST and 1-year survival rate between the two groups (P>0.05). The incidence of leukopenia (20.0%, 21.4%) was not statistically different between the GP and TP regimens (P>0.05). Conclusion: GP and TP regimens have positive efficacy in advanced NSCLC, with some differences in toxic side effects, and chemotherapy regimens can be selected according to different individuals.