Yeungnam Univ J Med.
2011 Jun;28(1):31-44.
Early or Late Gefitinib, Which is Better for Survival?: Retrospective Analysis of 228 Korean Patients with Advanced or Metastatic NSCLC
- Affiliations
-
- 1Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Republic of Korea. kmk21c@med.yu.ac.kr
- 2Division of Pulmonology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Republic of Korea.
- 3Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
- BACKGROUND
The optimal timing of treatment with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) in NSCLC patients has not yet been determined.
METHODS
We separated 228 patients with advanced/metastatic NSCLC treated with gefitinib into an early gefitinib group (patients who received gefitinib as first- or second-line treatment) and a delayed gefitinib group (patients who received gefitinib as third or fourth-line treatment) and attempted to determine whether the timing of gefitinib treatment affected clinical outcomes.
RESULTS
Median overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS), and median OS from first-line treatment of advanced/metastatic disease (OSt) for 111 patients in the early gefitinib group were 6.2 months, 3.3 months, and 11.6 months. However, median OS, PFS, and OSt for 84 patients in the delayed gefitinib group were 7.8 months, 2.3 months, and 22.7 months. No differences in OS and PFS were observed between the 2 groups. However, OSt was significantly longer in the delayed gefitnib group. Timing of gefitinib therapy was one of the independent predictors of OSt. Hb > or = 10 g/dl, and having never smoked, and ECOG performance status < or =1 were independent predictors of better PFS.
CONCLUSION
Deferral of gefitinib therapy in patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC may be preferable if they are able to tolerate chemotherapy.
- Full Text Links
-
- Actions
-
Cited
- CITED
-
- Close
- Share
-
- Similar articles
-
- The Effectiveness of Gefitinib on Spinal Metastases of Lung Cancer: Report of Two Cases
- Comparison of Gefitinib versus Docetaxel in Patients with Pre-Treated Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
- How Molecular Understanding Affects to Prescribing Patterns and Clinical Outcome of Gefitinib in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer? 10 Year Experience of Single Institution
- Comparison of Gefitinib and Erlotinib for Patients with Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
- Post-Progression Survival in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with Clinically Acquired Resistance to Gefitinib
