Comparison of survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients in the pre- and post-gefitinib eras.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to analyze the survival difference between advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in the pre-gefitinib and post-gefitinib eras in Korea.


METHODS
830 patients with advanced/metastatic or recurrent NSCLC who received palliative chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. Using a matched-pair case-control study design, 334 pairs from the pre-gefitinib era (January 1999 to December 2001) and the post-gefitinib era (January 2002 to December 2005) were matched by age, sex and histology.


RESULTS
The median overall survival from the date of first administration of palliative chemotherapy was significantly longer in the post-gefitinib era (11.5 vs. 19.3 months, p< 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that gefitinib was associated with longer overall survival (hazard ratio 0.58, p< 0.001) as were never having been a smoker, adenocarcinoma histology, good performance, stage IIIB, >or=3 prior episodes of chemotherapy, platinum-based chemotherapy and previous docetaxel or pemetrexed treatment. Patients in the post-gefitinib era showed significantly longer overall survival in almost all subgroups. Gefitinib treatment was of significantly greater benefit in patients with adenocarcinoma than in those with non-adenocarcinoma (test for interaction p< 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate a significant improvement of survival in advanced NSCLC patients treated with gefitinib in Korea.
Kim
Hyo Song
HS
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Park
Keunchil
K
Jun
Hyun Jung
HJ
Yi
Seong Yoon
SY
Lee
Jeeyun
J
Ahn
Jin Seok
JS
Park
Yeon Hee
YH
Kim
Seonwoo
S
Lee
Sangcheol
S
Ahn
Myung-Ju
MJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000077156:Gefitinib