Abstract
Background:Erlotinib is epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine-kinase inhibitor which showed efficacy and tolerability in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)
Aim:To determine safety and efficacy of erlotinib in patients with advanced(stage IIIB and IV)squamous NSCLC
Methods:patients with advanced squamous NSCLC who had failed prior chemotherapy were treated with oral erlotinib 150 mg daily until disease progression or unaccaptable toxicity.Data was analyzed retrospectively.
Results:a total of 122 patients(107 men and 15 women, mean age 62±8 years)with advanced squamous NSCLC were enrolled in the study from 2006 to 2012 in 14 centers in throughout Croatia.Most of the patients were in performance status ECOG 1 & 2.Majority of patients were treated with erlotinib in 3rd line setting.After cycle 2,10% of patients had partial response (PR),and 45% of patients had stable diseases.In total, 55% of patients had disease control after cycle 2.Progression free survival (PFS) was 3.7 months in overall population. Statistically significant differences in PFS were recorded according to response to treatment;patients with PR after two cycles had PFS of 6.2 months comparing with patients with progressive disease of 2.0 months(p<0.001).Patients with better ECOG status (ECOG 1 and 2) had trend to improved PFS(3.8 vs 1.9 months).Patients with rash after cycle 2 also showed trend to improved PFS (4.1 vs 2.4 months).There were no grade 3 and 4 toxicities noticed.
Conclusions:erlotinib as single agent showed efficacy and tolerability in treatment of patients with squamous cell NSCLC. The best predictive factor of response to treatment was response to erlotinib after 2 months of treatment.
- © 2014 ERS