title: Efficacy of amrubicin for non-small cell lung cancer after failure of two or more prior chemotherapy regimens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  No investigation of amrubicin monotherapy in pre-treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has yet been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records were reviewed of NSCLC patients who had received amrubicin monotherapy between 2003 and 2007 with the following eligibility criteria:previously treated with at least two regimens including platinum and docetaxel for non-adenocarcinoma patients and platinum, docetaxel and epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) for adenocarcinoma patients. Amrubicin was administered to both groups at 35 mg/m2 or 40 mg/m2 for 3 consecutive days, every 3 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-nine patients were registered. The median number of prior chemotherapy regimens was three (range: 2 to 7). The median number of courses per patient was three (range one to 9). The toxicity profile was acceptable with no grade 3 or higher non-hematological toxicity. The overall response rate was 10.2%. The median survival time was 4.8 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amrubicin exhibits activity and acceptable toxicity as third or subsequent line of chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Igawa
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuya
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Takehito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shukuya
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shukuya
authors.forename: Haruyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C055866:amrubicin