title: Quality of life (QOL) assessment of MIP (mitomycin, ifosfamide and cisplatin) chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of life (QOL) assessment has emerged to measure and quantify the balance between treatment benefit and toxicity, and has a value in predicting response and overall survival in cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From July 1995 to February 1997, 38 symptomatic patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were treated with MIP chemotherapy (mitomycin 6 mg/m2, ifosfamide 3000 mg/m2 and cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on day 1 every 3 weeks). Patients were assessed for QOL including physical well-being, general symptoms and lung cancer-specific symptoms, as well as objective response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rate was 38.9% (14/36, all were partial response) and the median duration of response was 3.5 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-4.0]. The median duration of overall survival was 7 months (95% CI 5.9-8.5). The overall improvement of QOL was 58.3% with 21 patients feeling better on treatment. The toxicity of chemotherapy was mild, mainly nausea/vomiting and minimal alopecia. Using multiple clinical predictors of survival (age, histology, stage, performance status), only change of QOL emerged significantly (P = 0.0007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MIP had an endurable response and low toxicity profile, and provided good QOL. Integral QOL data in our study provided the strong prediction of survival in advanced NSCLC. Further experienced QOL study will provide greatly enhanced outcome data in clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. jymama@hotmail.com
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Y S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000505:Alopecia / Q000139:chemically induced; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D011788:Quality of Life; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014839:Vomiting / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D016685:Mitomycin; D002945:Cisplatin; D007069:Ifosfamide