title: Cytotoxic Chemotherapy as First-Line Therapy for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer in Taiwan: Daily Practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cytotoxic chemotherapy is the standard first-line therapy for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without specific gene alterations. This study examined the prescription pattern and the survival outcome of cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens in daily practice in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We established a population-based cohort of patients diagnosed with advanced NSCLC between 2005 and 2009 using the databases of Taiwan Cancer Registry and National Health Insurance in Taiwan. We then analyzed chemotherapy prescriptions and the survival outcomes of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 25,008 patients with advanced NSCLC were identified, 17,443 (70.0%) of which received first-line chemotherapy and were therefore included in this study. Among them, 11,551 (66.2%) patients had adenocarcinoma and 3,292 (18.9%) patients had squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Approximately 70% of the patients were diagnosed with NSCLC in medical centers. Platinum-based doublet chemotherapy was administered to 66.9% of the patients. Among all chemotherapy regimens, platinum with gemcitabine (33.8%) was the most common, irrespective of geographic region. The second and third most common regimens were vinorelbine alone (13.0%) and platinum with docetaxel (11.6%). The prevalence of platinum-based doublet chemotherapy regimens decreased from 71.4% in 2005 to 64.1% in 2009. Among patients with adenocarcinoma histology, those who received platinum with pemetrexed had longer OS than did patients who received other platinum-based regimens (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings reaffirm that in real-world practice, treatment plans of advanced NSCLC should be drawn up according to histology type.
authors.affiliation: 1. Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan; 2. Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 5. Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine.
authors.forename: Yi-Hsin
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 4. National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 5. Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine.
authors.forename: Yu-Yun
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 4. National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Bin-Chi
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: 9. Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ho-Sheng
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 3. Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 4. National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 5. Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine.
authors.forename: James Chih-Hsin
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ho-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 7. Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 8. Taiwan Cancer Registry, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.affiliation: 2. Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; 4. National Taiwan University Cancer Center, Taipei, Taiwan; 5. Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine; 6. Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine.
authors.forename: Ann-Lii
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: 7. Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; 8. Taiwan Cancer Registry, Department of Internal Medicine, E-Da Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mei-Shu
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lai
keywords: Squamous cell carcinoma; adenocarcinoma; chemotherapy; first line; non-small cell lung cancer