[Efficacy and safety of erlotinib as monotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the efficacy and safety of erlotinib monotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).


METHODS
Totally 50 patients with advanced NSCLC received oral erlotinib 150 mg/d treatment, and tumor specimen in 19 patients were collected for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation tests. Median survival (MS) was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
The most common adverse events (AEs) were skin rash (96%) and diarrhea (32%). The overall survival (OS) of all patients was 21.8 months 95% confidential interval (CI): 17.1-26.4 months and the median progression-free survival (PFS) of all patients was 7.0 months (95% CI: 3.9-10.1 months). EGFR mutation analysis showed gene mutation in 8 cases and wild type in 11 cases. The objective response rate in patients with or without EGFR gene mutations were 62.5% and 9.1%, respectively (chi(2)=6.631, P=0.036). PFS in patients with or without EGFR gene mutations were 16.330 (95% CI: 2.803-29.857 months) and 5.570 months (95% CI: 2.441-8.699 months), respectively (chi(2)=8.799, P=0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
Erlotinib monotherapy is safe and effective for some Chinese NSCLC patients after failure of prior chemotherapy.
Wang
Meng-zhao
MZ
Department of Respiratory Medicine, PUMC Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Beijing 100730, China. mengzhaowang@sina.com
Zhang
Xiao-tong
XT
Zhang
Xin-yong
XY
Zhang
Li
L
Zhong
Wei
W
Xu
Li-yan
LY
Li
Long-yun
LY
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride