title: Long-term survivors of more than 5 years in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to evaluate the rate of long-term survival of more than 5 years in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred and twenty-four patients with advanced NSCLC treated with chemotherapy from September 2002 to October 2003 were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten (8%) patients survived for more than 5 years. The median survival time (MST) for the 10 patients was 61.5 months, ranging from 60.1 to 81.0 months. All of the 10 patients had performance status (PS) 0 or 1 and adenocarcinoma. As the initial treatment, 9 patients were treated with a platinum-containing chemotherapy [median progressive free survival (PFS), 10.7 months] and 8 patients received gefitinib as the second or third line chemotherapy (median PFS, 28.7 months). Nine patients received cytotoxic agents after first line chemotherapy (median duration of the chemotherapy, 22.4 months). A mean regimen of chemotherapy was three (range, 1-8). Re-challenge of gefitinib was performed in 2 patients, and surgical resection of solitary brain metastasis was performed as the initial treatment in 2 patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that good performance status, adenocarcinoma and EGFR-TKI therapy play an important role in the long-term survivors of more than 5 years.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic Oncology, Shizuoka Cancer Center, 1007 Shimonagakubo Nagaizumi-cho, Sunto-gun, Shizuoka 411-8777, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyoichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaira
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Haruyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Asuka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsuya
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Tateaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D017741:Survivors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents