[Impact of erlotinib treatment on symptoms and quality of life in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of erlotinib as a second or third line treatment on the symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
Fifty patients with stage III b and IV NSCLC, treated previously with at least one regimen of platinum-based chemotherapy, received 150 mg of erlotinib orally, once a day till disease progression. QOL was assessed by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and the lung cancer module (QLQ-LC13). The primary end points for QOL analysis were time to deterioration of three common lung cancer symptoms: cough, dyspnea and pain.


RESULTS
Among 47 evaluable cases, there were partial remission (PR) in 18 cases, stable disease (SD) in 21 cases, and progressive disease (PD) in 8 cases. After two cycles of treatment, the mean scores of global QOL and all 5 functioning scales except the cognitive function increased significantly (P < 0.05). Mean scores of major general symptoms, hypodynamia and anorexia, and disease-related symptoms alleviated significantly. Both response rates of five functioning and global QOL were more than 44% after erlotinib treatment. Response rates of major general symptoms and disease-related symptoms varied from 14% to 76%. Patients with complete or partial response likely had improvement in the QOL response (P < 0.05), and the time to major symptom deterioration in those were significantly longer (P < 0.001) than that in patients with stable or even progressive disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Erlotinib is effective to improve not only survival, but also tumor-related symptoms and quality of life in patients with advanced NSCLC previously treated with cisplatin-contained regimens. The improvement in the quality of life is positively correlated with objective tumor response.
Zhou
Song-wen
SW
Department of Medical Oncology, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, China.
Ren
Sheng-xiang
SX
Yan
Ling-hua
LH
Zhang
Ling
L
Zhou
Cai-cun
CC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011788:Quality of Life; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012074:Remission Induction; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D017211:Treatment Failure
D011799:Quinazolines; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D066246:ErbB Receptors