Gefitinib (ZD1839) in previously treated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: experience from a single institution.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

We conducted an analysis of gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to assess the antitumor efficacy of this epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

METHODS:

Our single-center, prospective landmark analysis included 183 patients with advanced NSCLC who received 250 mg of gefitinib orally once daily in an expanded-use program at our institution. Thirty-three of the 183 patients were previously untreated. The patients included in this analysis had all received at least 12 weeks of gefitinib.

RESULTS:

The objective tumor response rate was 3.8%, but an additional 53.5% of patients experienced clinically meaningful disease stabilization. Median progression-free survival time was 3.6 months, and median overall survival time was 8.8 months. The 1-year survival rate for the entire cohort was 35%. Predictors of longer survival included female gender, adenocarcinoma or bronchoalveolar carcinoma histology, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1. Adverse events were generally mild (grade 1 or 2) and consisted mainly of skin reactions and diarrhea.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this single-center experience, gefitinib demonstrated clinically significant antitumor activity and provided good palliation in a predominantly pretreated group of patients. Our results, which are likely to be reproducible in a community setting, demonstrated a 1-year survival rate of 35% in a cohort of patients who were able to take the drug for at least 12 weeks.

• Authors: George R Simon, John C Ruckdeschel, Charles Williams, Alan Cantor, Alberto Chiappori, Caio M Rocha Lima, Scott Antonia, Eric Haura, Henry Wagner, Lary Robinson, Eric Sommers, Michael Alberts, Gerold Bepler
• Journal: Cancer control : journal of the Moffitt Cancer Center (Cancer Control) 2003 Sep-Oct Vol. 10 Issue 5 Pg. 388-95 ISSN: 1073-2748 [Print] United States
• PMID: 14581894 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Clinical Trial, Phase I, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Quinazolines
• Epidermal Growth Factor
• Gefitinib

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung (drug therapy, mortality, pathology)
• Epidermal Growth Factor (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Female
• Gefitinib
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms (drug therapy, mortality, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Quinazolines (therapeutic use)
• Survival Rate