title: [Clinical investigation of efficacy of pemetrexed in 32 patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma after failure to chemotherapy and gefitinib].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relapse-free time of gefitinib as the second or third line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was not satisfactory. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of pemetrexed in patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma after failure to chemotherapy and gefitinib.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 32 relapsed patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma after failure to chemotherapy and gefitinib received pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 by the intravenous administration on the first day, with 21 days as a cycle. Dexamethasone, folic acid and vitamin B12 were applied to relieve the drug toxicity. The objective response rate was estimated by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and the toxicity was estimated by National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (version 3.0).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For a total of 32 patients, 4 patients reached partial response (PR), constituting a total of 12.5%; 11 patients reached stable disease (SD), constituting a total of 34.4%; 17 patients reached progressive disease (PD), constituting a total of 53.1%. The median progression free survival (PFS) was 2.7 months. The median overall survival (OS) was 11.0 months. One-year survival rate was 37.5%. The most common adverse events (AEs) were myelosuppression with grade I and grade II toxicity. Other adverse events were tolerated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pemetrexed was clinically beneficial for the patients with pulmonary adenocarcinoma after the failure of chemotherapy and gefitinib.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Fujian Provincial Tumor Hospital, Fujian Medical University Educational Hospital, Fuzhou 350014, China.
authors: Biao
authors: B
authors: Wu
authors: Cheng
authors: C
authors: Huang
authors: Kan
authors: K
authors: Jiang
authors: Wu
authors: W
authors: Zhuang
authors: Zhenwu
authors: Z
authors: Xu
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D005971:Glutamates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006147:Guanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015996:Survival Rate; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005971:Glutamates; D011799:Quinazolines; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D006147:Guanine; D000077156:Gefitinib