title: Role of pemetrexed in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: Pemetrexed was approved for the treatment of relapsed or chemotherapy refractory non-small cell lung cancer patients, as it produced similar response and survival outcomes and less toxicity as compared to taxotere. Pemetrexed in combination with platinum analogs or with gemcitabine or vinorelbine, produce equivalent responses and overall survival results compared to combinations of platinum analogs with other drugs. The role of bevacizumab and the inhibitors of epithelial growth factor receptor also should be evaluated in selected patients with NSCLC treated with pemetrexed combinations. Further increases in drug dose may be possible using transfer of drug resistance genes in hematopoietic stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, Cancer Institute of New Jersey/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Giuseppe S A
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Longo-Sorbello
authors.forename: Bobin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tulin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Budak-Alpdogan
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bertino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005971:Glutamates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000068437:Pemetrexed
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005971:Glutamates; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D006147:Guanine