First-line single agent treatment with gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

• Published in: Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research 2010-09, Vol.29 (1), p.126-126, Article 126
• Main Authors: Yin, Yong-Mei, Geng, Yi-Ting, Shao, Yong-Feng, Hu, Xiao-Li, Li, Wei, Shu, Yong-Qian, Wang, Zhao-Xia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Cancer therapies; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - ethnology; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - mortality; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - pathology; Chemotherapy; China; Development and progression; Disease control; Disease-Free Survival; Dosage and administration; Drug therapy; Female; Gefitinib; Hospitals; Humans; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Kinases; Lung cancer; Lung cancer, Non-small cell; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lung Neoplasms - enzymology; Lung Neoplasms - ethnology; Lung Neoplasms - mortality; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation; Neoplasm Staging; Oncology; Ovarian cancer; Patient outcomes; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - adverse effects; Protein Kinase Inhibitors - therapeutic use; Quality of life; Quinazolines - adverse effects; Quinazolines - therapeutic use; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - antagonists & inhibitors; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - metabolism; Surfactants; Survival Rate; Thoracic surgery; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Tumors
• ISSN: 1756-9966; 0392-9078; 1756-9966
• DOI: 10.1186/1756-9966-29-126

Lung cancer is a malignant carcinoma which has the highest morbidity and mortality in Chinese population. Gefitinib, a tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), displays anti-tumor activity. The present data regarding first-line treatment with single agent gefitinib against non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Chinese population are not sufficient. To assess the efficacy and toxicity of gefitinib in Chinese patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a study of single agent treatment with gefitinib in Chinese patients was conducted. 45 patients with advanced NSCLC were treated with gefitinib (250 mg daily) until the disease progression or intolerable toxicity. Among the 45 patients, 15 patients achieved partial response (PR), 17 patients experienced stable disease (SD), and 13 patients developed progression disease (PD). None of the patients achieved complete response (CR). The tumor response rate and disease control rate was 33% and 71.1%, respectively. Symptom remission rate was 72.5%, and median remission time was 8 days. Median overall survival and median progression-free survival was 15.3 months and 6.0 months, respectively. The main induced toxicities by gefitinib were skin rash and diarrhea (53.3% and 33.3%, respectively). The minor induced toxicities included dehydration and pruritus of skin (26.7% and 22.2%, respectively). In addition, hepatic toxicity and oral ulceration occurred in few patients (6.7% and 4.4%2, respectively). Single agent treatment with gefitinib is effective and well tolerated in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC.