Impact of gefitinib ('Iressa') treatment on the quality of life of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have a short life expectancy; therefore, in addition to increasing their survival, improving their quality of life (QoL) is also an important treatment goal.


METHODS
We evaluated the QoL of patients with advanced NSCLC who were unfit to receive chemotherapy, failed to respond or progress following prior chemotherapy, who received subsequent treatment with gefitinib ('Iressa') on a compassionate use basis, using a standard QoL questionnaire, (EORTC) QLQ-C30 and the related lung cancer-specific module QLQ-LC13.


RESULTS
Analysis of the functional scales showed a trend towards improvement for role, emotional and cognitive scales, while a substantial stability was seen for general QoL scale. Analysis of the symptoms scales of QLQ-C30, showed a trend towards improvement for fatigue, dyspnoea, insomnia, and constipation, after one month of therapy. Fifty-six of the 57 patients were considered evaluable for response. One patient evidenced a partial response (patient is still on response), 29 patients had stable disease for a median duration of 5 months (range 4-7 months), and 26 patients progressed.


CONCLUSIONS
After treatment with Gefitinib, we observed maintenance of QoL in a group of patients with poor prognosis that would be expected to have a worsening QoL. Furthermore important symptoms like dyspnoea fatigue and pain in other parts, that usually afflict patients with NSCLC, showed a trend toward improvement after only one month of therapy.
Gelibter
Alain
A
Division of Medical Oncology A, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi, 53, 00144, Rome, Italy. agelibter@yahoo.it
Ceribelli
Anna
A
Pollera
Camillo F
CF
Milella
Michele
M
Moscetti
Luca
L
Sperduti
Isabella
I
Cognetti
Francesco
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003248:Constipation / Q000517:prevention & control; D018450:Disease Progression; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000517:prevention & control; D005221:Fatigue / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D000077156:Gefitinib