title: Clinical surrogate markers of survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with second-third line erlotinib.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inhibition of the EGFR pathway is a useful strategy in the treatment of patients with advanced NSCLC. The aim of this study is to assess predictive clinical parameters of efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-two patients with advanced NSCLC were treated with erlotinib as second-third line (150 mg/day). Baseline patient characteristics were: performance status (PS) 1: 92%; median age, 58 years; males, 73%; adenocarcinoma, 45%; current/former smokers, 83%. During erlotinib treatment, 35% of patients had no rash, 32.3% had grade 1 rash, 26% had grade 2 rash and 6.5% patients developed grade 3 rash.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For patients with grades 2-3 rash vs. those with grades 0-1 rash, time to tumor progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were 92 vs. 41 days (p=0.0381) and 244 vs. 131 days (p=0.011), respectively. For patients with non-smoking history and current/former smokers, TTP and OS were 136 vs. 42 days (p=0.0015) and 324 vs. 133 days (p=0.0242), respectively. In addition, rash grade and smoking history were found to have a highly significant impact on TTP and OS, according to the Cox model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Grade > or =2 rash and non-smoking history are associated with improved TTP and OS in advanced NSCLC patients treated with erlotinib.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology Service, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cedrés
authors.forename: Aleix
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prat
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pallisa
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sala
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andreu
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: del Campo
authors.forename: Isela
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Quispe
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baselga
authors.forename: Enriqueta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Felip
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride