title: Retrospective analysis of the clinical and demographic variables on the outcomes after second-line treatment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Platinum based doublets chemotherapy are the standard of care for metastatic or advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma. This leads to modest survival advantage and improve quality-of-life. However, patients with advanced or metastatic disease eventually present disease progression and needs second-line systemic therapy in a selected group of patients or other supportive measures. There is very little knowledge available from the literature about the prognostic variables in patients, who receive second-line therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 329 patients received second-line treatment from July 2007 to September 2011 in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital. For statistical analysis, 12 potential prognostic variables included. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis carried out to identify the prognostic variables associated with survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results of univariate analysis for overall survival (OS) and survival after second-line therapy identified to have prognostic significance: Age, sex, performance status, smoking history, serum lactate dehydrogenase, histopathology, first-line chemotherapy and its response and second-line therapy except the stage at diagnosis and site of failure after first-line therapy. The multivariate Cox regression analysis has shown that only performance and second-line therapy were independent prognostic variables for survival after second-line treatment and above these prognostic factors; age, smoking status and progression free survival also for OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The performance status has shown consistent result as a prognostic factor in univariate and multivariate analysis for OS and survival after second-line therapy. These findings may also facilitate pretreatment prediction of survival and be used for selecting patients for the correct choice of cytotoxic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Sourav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sau
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Medicine, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Anirban
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Amitava
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, S.S.K.M. Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Saikat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sau
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Subir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganguly
keywords: Non-small cell lung carcinoma; overall survival; prognostic variables; second-line chemotherapy