Second-line chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer: recent data with pemetrexed

Platinum-based chemotherapy offers a modest survival advantage over best supportive care (BSC) in chemotherapy-naive patients with a good performance status and advanced/metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Based on 2 landmark studies that reported improved survival times and quality of life when comparing docetaxel with ifosfamide, vinorelbine, or BSC alone, docetaxel at 75 mg/m(2) given once every 3 weeks has been the standard of care as second-line chemotherapy since 2000. Docetaxel given at this dose and schedule resulted in significant hematologic toxicity, with many patients at risk for neutropenic fever. Pemetrexed is a novel multitargeted antifolate agent with single-agent activity in first- and second-line treatment of NSCLC. A phase III study in 571 patients comparing pemetrexed with docetaxel demonstrated clinically equivalent therapeutic outcomes in second-line treatment of patients with recurrent NSCLC; however, patients on the pemetrexed arm had a more favorable hematologic toxicity profile, with fewer episodes of neutropenia, neutropenic fever, and infections and less use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor support. Based on these data, pemetrexed is a reasonable second-line chemotherapy option for patients with recurrent, advanced NSCLC.