title: Analysis of the response and toxicity to gefitinib of non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gefitinib is an oral agent that inhibits the tyrosine kinase of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), which had antitumor activity in patients with previously treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We analyzed the efficacy, toxicity and overall survival time of gefitinib treatment in patients with NSCLC.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty-two patients with NSCLC, who received gefitinib between 2002 and 2004 in our institutes, were evaluated retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The objective response rate was 24.6%. The variables identified as significant in univariate analysis included gender and smoking habit. The median overall survival time was 14.4 months. Significant variables associated with improved survival included good performance status (PS), female, adenocarcinoma and never smoked status, while never smoked status and good PS were independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. Four patients (3.3%) developed interstitial pneumonitis associated with gefitinib.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gefitinib showed favorable anti-tumor activity in females, never smokers and adenocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Isobe
authors.forename: Shigeaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Riou
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Takashima
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakadate
authors.forename: Shyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asahina
authors.forename: Mikado
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imura
authors.forename: Eiki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Junko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Naofumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shinagawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yokouchi
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munakata
authors.forename: Hirotoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dosaka-Akita
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D000077156:Gefitinib