title: [The efficacy and safety of pemetrexed as monotherapy for Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the outcome of pemetrexed as monotherapy for Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  From February 2006 to August 2009, 69 patients with advanced NSCLC, including 36 (52.2%) men and 33 (47.8%) women, received pemetrexed monotherapy.Six patients had squamous cell carcinoma, 57 adenocarcinoma, 6 unspecified. Median survival (MS) and progress-free survival (PFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adverse events (AEs) were generally mild (grade 1 and 2) and reversible. The most frequent AEs were gastrointestinal adverse events, skin rash, fever and fatigue. Total 5 cases with 3/4 grade AEs were reported, including fever, fatigue, rash, decreased platelets and elevated ALT/AST. The objective tumour response rate and stable disease rate were 10.1% (7/69) and 47.8% (33/69) respectively. Median PFS of all patients was 4.7 months (95%CI 3.0-6.4) and mean overall survival was 14.7 months (95%CI 11.5-17.9).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that treatment with pemetrexed may be well-tolerated and beneficial for some Chinese patients after failure of prior chemotherapy. The rate of disease control is high and the frequency of 3/4 grade AEs is very low.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xiao-tong
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Meng-zhao
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Long-yun
authors.initials: LY
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005971:Glutamates / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006147:Guanine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000068437:Pemetrexed
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005971:Glutamates; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D006147:Guanine