Analysis of the response and toxicity to gefitinib of non-small cell lung cancer.
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.
Konishi
Jun
J
First Department of Medicine, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Yamazaki
Koichi
K
Kinoshita
Ichiro
I
Isobe
Hiroshi
H
Ogura
Shigeaki
S
Sekine
Satoko
S
Ishida
Takashi
T
Takashima
Riou
R
Nakadate
Megumi
M
Nishikawa
Shyu
S
Hattori
Takeshi
T
Asahina
Hajime
H
Imura
Mikado
M
Kikuchi
Eiki
E
Kikuchi
Junko
J
Shinagawa
Naofumi
N
Yokouchi
Hiroshi
H
Munakata
Mitsuru
M
Dosaka-Akita
Hirotoshi
H
Nishimura
Masaharu
M
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
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D000077156:Gefitinib