title: [Pemetrexed as second-line treatment and beyond for elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Japan, the standard first-line therapy for elderly patients with advanced non-small lung cancer(NSCLC)is docetaxel(DOC)monotherapy. However, there is very limited information about second-line and beyond chemotherapy regimens for elderly patients with advanced NSCLC. Pemetrexed(PEM)monotherapy has been recognized as a standard regimen for advanced NSCLC in second-line settings, just as DOC monotherapy has been.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of PEM as second-line therapy and beyond for elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of previously -treated elderly patients with advanced NSCLC, who had been treated with PEM as second-line therapy and beyond between July 2009 and December 2010, were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  median age: 73 years old(range 70-79 years old); gender: male/female, 11/8; PS 0-1/≥2, 19/0; clinical stage: III B/IV/postoperative recurrence, 4/10/5; pathology: adeno/LCNEC/other, 17/1/1 patient. The objective response-rate and disease control-rate were 15. 8% and 57. 9%, respectively. Median progression-free survival time was 3. 2 months. There were no treatment-related deaths, and most of the toxicities of the treatment regimen were mild and acceptable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PEM monotherapy exhibits activity in previously treated elderly NSCLC patients and has an acceptably low toxicity. Further study is warranted to confirm our results.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Sakiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Igawa
authors.forename: Sachiyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.forename: Yujiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.forename: Nobuatsu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Mikiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasajima
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiyoshi
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katono
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takakura
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitsufuji
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katagiri
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masuda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005971:Glutamates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D016879:Salvage Therapy
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005971:Glutamates; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D006147:Guanine