Pemetrexed for Lung Cancer Treatment
Author Information
Author(s): Francesca Russo, Alessandra Bearz, Gianni Pampaloni
Primary Institution: Eli Lilly Italia S.p.A.
Hypothesis
The study aimed to evaluate the safety of second-line pemetrexed in patients with Stage IIIB or IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Conclusion
Patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC could benefit from second-line pemetrexed, with a low incidence of hematological and non-hematological toxicities.
Supporting Evidence
- 78.9% of treated patients reported at least one adverse event.
- The most common drug-related toxicities were pyrexia, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue.
- The tumor response rate was 9.2% in treated patients.
- The median progression-free survival was 3.1 months.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well a drug called pemetrexed works for people with advanced lung cancer who have already had treatment. It found that it can help patients with fewer side effects.
Methodology
95 patients received pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 intravenously over Day 1 of a 21-day cycle, along with vitamin and steroid supplements to reduce toxicity.
Limitations
The study did not assess the correlation between the number of previous lines of treatment and response to pemetrexed due to a flaw in the original study design.
Participant Demographics
{"age_mean":62.4,"age_range":"25-82","gender_distribution":{"males":72,"females":23},"ECOG_performance_status":{"0":58,"1":29,"2":5,"3":1}}
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
{"response_rate":"95% CI: 4.1 to 17.3","survival_rate":"95% CI: 71 to 88%"}
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website