title: Outcome and prognostic factors in patients with small cell lung cancer who receive third-line chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is reported that about 20% of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) receive third-line chemotherapy. We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the outcome and prognostic factors of patients with SCLC who receive third-line chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of patients with SCLC who received third-line chemotherapy at our institution were reviewed. Overall survival (OS) from the initiation of third-line chemotherapy was evaluated, and the association between OS and patient characteristics was assessed by the log-rank test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 73 patients with SCLC were treated with cytotoxic drugs between 2004 and 2012, and 19 patients received third-line chemotherapy. Median OS from initiation of third-line chemotherapy was 8.5 months. Patients with higher body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.0071), lower levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P = 0.0036), higher levels of hemoglobin (P = 0.048), longer time to progression (TTP) from the initiation of second-line treatment (P = 0.0036), and better response to second-line treatment (P = 0.029) had longer duration of OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is suggested that TTP and tumor response in second-line chemotherapy, serum levels of LDH and hemoglobin, and BMI at initiation of third-line chemotherapy could be possible prognostic factors.
authors.forename: Minehiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inomata
authors.forename: Ryuji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tokui
authors.forename: Chihiro
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taka
authors.forename: Seisuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okazawa
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kambara
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imanishi
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miwa
authors.forename: Tatsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kashii
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: Kazuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tobe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055752:Small Cell Lung Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents