First-line single agent treatment with gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
Lung cancer is a malignant carcinoma which has the highest morbidity and mortality in Chinese population. Gefitinib, a tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), displays anti-tumor activity. The present data regarding first-line treatment with single agent gefitinib against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Chinese population are not sufficient.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy and toxicity of gefitinib in Chinese patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a study of single agent treatment with gefitinib in Chinese patients was conducted.


METHODS
45 patients with advanced NSCLC were treated with gefitinib (250 mg daily) until the disease progression or intolerable toxicity.


RESULTS
Among the 45 patients, 15 patients achieved partial response (PR), 17 patients experienced stable disease (SD), and 13 patients developed progression disease (PD). None of the patients achieved complete response (CR). The tumor response rate and disease control rate was 33% and 71.1%, respectively. Symptom remission rate was 72.5%, and median remission time was 8 days. Median overall survival and median progression-free survival was 15.3 months and 6.0 months, respectively. The main induced toxicities by gefitinib were skin rash and diarrhea (53.3% and 33.3%, respectively). The minor induced toxicities included dehydration and pruritus of skin (26.7% and 22.2%, respectively). In addition, hepatic toxicity and oral ulceration occurred in few patients (6.7% and 4.4%2, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Single agent treatment with gefitinib is effective and well tolerated in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC.
Yin
Yong-Mei
YM
Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Guangzhou Road, #300, Nanjing 210029, PR China.
Geng
Yi-Ting
YT
Shao
Yong-Feng
YF
Hu
Xiao-Li
XL
Li
Wei
W
Shu
Yong-Qian
YQ
Wang
Zhao-Xia
ZX
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D044466:Asian People; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000077156:Gefitinib