[S-1 activity in non-small cell lung cancer in clinical practice]

We evaluated retrospectively single-agent S-1 chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients in clinical practice.

Sixteen consecutive patients treated with single-agent S-1 for NSCLC between July 2005 and June 2007 at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital. The treatment schedule comprised oral administration of S-1 at 80-120 mg/day. One cycle of S-1 consisted of consecutive administration to 14 (10 cases)or 28(6 cases)days followed by a 14-day rest.

Patients profiles were: M/F: 11/5, median age 68 years old(range 51-83), PS 0/1/2/3: 2/6/5/3, adeno/squamous/large: 13/2/1, clinical stage 3A/3B/4: 3/4/9, prior chemotherapy regimens 0/1/2/3/4: 2/3/4/5/2, prior surgery/radiation: 12/5 were performed. Median number of delivered cycles was 5 cycles(range 1-13). Grade 3 hematological toxicities were anemia(6%)and thrombocytopenia(6%). Grade 3 non-hematological toxicities were nausea(6%)and vomiting(6%). Response of 13 patients could be evaluated after 2-4 cycles of S-1. Four partial responses were observed, for a response rate of 31%. The survival time was 67-852 days(average 14.0 months), 1-year survival rate was 74.0%, median time to progression was 4.6 m, and 1- year progression free survival was 25.0%.

Single-agent S-1 chemotherapy has modest activity and is the one of the important regimens and tolerable for elderly, poor-PS, recurrent patients with NSCLC in clinical practice.