title: Pemetrexed in second line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer - The portuguese experience.
abstract: Until 2004, docetaxel in monotherapy was the standard for second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Pemetrexed (P) has shown similar activity in this setting with a better adverse event profile. In Portugal, it was introduced in October of 2004. We have carried out a retrospective analysis of patients (pts) who received P for second-line NSCLC in Portugal from October 2004 to December 2006. Data were collected from the records of pts with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC and failed first-line chemotherapy enrolled in centers participating in the Portuguese Lung Cancer Study Group (GECP). Objective response (OR; complete [CR] or partial [PR] response) was evaluated using RECIST and safety was assessed using serious or non-serious adverse events (SAEs/AEs). By December 2006, 19 GECP centers had enrolled 244 pts who had received P for ≥1cycle, and were considered evaluable for both objective response and safety. Demography: male/female, 175/69; median age, 57.0years (range 20-81); smoking status, y/ex/n, 116/57/71; adenocarcinoma / squamous-cell carcinoma/other histology, 141/72/31; mean time to progression (TTP) 8.07months. Disease control in 209 evaluable pts was observed in 116 (55.5%): 2 CR, 45 PR and 69 SD; mean TTP 4.70months. The majority of AEs were grade 3 anemia (15 pts) and neutropenia (18 pts). The mean overall survival was 17.27months. Our retrospective analysis has observed a similar disease control rate with P in 2nd line (55.5%), and TTP (4.7months) in our current unselected population to that published in the literature. P is an option for second-line NSCLC with a good tolerability. Rev Port Pneumol 2008; XIV (Sup.2): S9-S20.
authors.affiliation: Coordenador do projecto e relator do documento. Serviço de Oncologia Médica, Instituto Português de Oncologia - Centro do Porto, Porto / Project coordinator and responsible for documentation - Medical Oncology Unit, Portuguese Oncology Institute - Centro do Porto, Porto; Participantes / Participants. Electronic address: amfaraujo@netcabo.pt.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.affiliation: Participantes / Participants; Serviço de Pneumologia, Centro Hospitalar de Coimbra, Coimbra / Pulmonology Unit, Centro Hospitalar de Coimbra, Coimbra.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barata
authors.affiliation: Participantes / Participants; Serviço de Pneumologia, Centro Hospitalar de Gaia, VN Gaia / Pulmonology Unit, Centro Hospitalar de Gaia, V N Gaia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.affiliation: Participantes / Participants; Serviço de Oncologia Médica, Instituto Português de Oncologia - Centro do Porto, Porto / Medical Oncology Unit, Instituto Português de Oncologia - Centro do Porto, Porto.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rego
authors.affiliation: Participantes / Participants; Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisboa / Pulmonology Unit, Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisboa.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Participantes / Participants; Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital de Pulido Valente, Lisboa / Pulmonology Unit, Hospital Pulido Valente, Lisboa.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Participantes / Participants; Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital de S. João, Porto / Pulmonology Unit, Hospital de S. João, Porto.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Queiroga
authors.affiliation: Participantes / Participants; Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital de S. Marcos, Braga / Pulmonology Unit, Hospital de S. Marcos, Braga.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.affiliation: Participantes / Participants; Serviço de Pneumologia, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada / Pulmonology Unit, Hospital Garcia de Orta, Almada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Participantes / Participants; Unidade de Oncologia Molecular, Instituto Português de Oncologia - Centro do Porto, Porto / Molecular Oncology Unit, Instituto Português de Oncologia - Centro do Porto, Porto.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coelho
keywords: Carcinoma do pulmão de não pequenas células; Non-small cell lung cancer; pemetrexed; quimioterapia de segunda linha; second-line chemotherapy