Gefitinib as a first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Hashizume, T.; Ogura, T.; Kozawa, S.; Kobayashi, N.; Tagawa, A.; Miyazawa, N.; Watanuki, Y.; Takahashi, H.
Gan to Kagaku Ryoho. Cancer and ChemoTherapy 33(4): 467-470
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0385-0684 PMID: 16612155 Document Number: 601426
The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of gefitinib as a first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We analyzed 19 patients with advanced NSCLC retrospectively, who were treated with gefitinib as a first-line therapy. These patients were not considered for systemic chemotherapy secondary to co-morbid conditions, poor performance status (PS) or refusal of chemotherapy. Median age 68 years, male/female 10/9, stage III/IV 7/12, smoker/non-smoker 12/7, adenocarcinoma/non-adeno 13/6, PS 0/1/2/3/4 0/4/7/5/3. Four patients had a partial response and the overall response rate was 21.0%. The median survival time was 6.8 months and 1-year survival was 27%. Overall toxicities were mild. Grade (G) 3 diarrhea was observed in one patient and G1 interstitial pneumonia in one. These results demonstrate that gefitinib is active as a first-line therapy in patients with advanced NSCLC.