title: Evaluation of amrubicin as a third or later line of chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Currently, there are no standard cytotoxic treatments for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients beyond third-line therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of amrubicin monotherapy as a salvage treatment in heavily pretreated NSCLC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The records of NSCLC patients who received amrubicin monotherapy as a third or later line of chemotherapy at a Kitasato University Hospital between January 2009 and December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Amrubicin was administered to patients by intravenous injection at a dose of 35 or 40 mg/m(2) daily on 3 consecutive days, and cycles were repeated at 3-week intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 36 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Their median number of prior chemotherapy treatments was 4 (range 2-7), and the median number of chemotherapy cycles per patient was 4 (range 1-9). Grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicities included neutropenia (61.1%), leukopenia (58.3%), thrombocytopenia (22.2%) and anemia (11.1%). Febrile neutropenia occurred in 8 patients (22.2%). Nonhematologic toxicities were mild. The overall response rate, median progression-free survival time and median survival time were 8.3%, 1.7 months, and 6.3 months, respectively. Progression-free survival time was the same, i.e. 1.7 months in both groups i.e. the 35- and the 40-mg/m(2)-dose groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Amrubicin exhibits modest activity and acceptable toxicity when used as a third or later line of chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Igawa
authors.forename: Jiichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Mikiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishihara
authors.forename: Sakiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Otani
authors.forename: Sachiyo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hiyoshi
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasajima
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katono
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takakura
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masuda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018943:Anthracyclines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; C055866:amrubicin