[Pemetrexed as second-line treatment and beyond for elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer]

In Japan, the standard first-line therapy for elderly patients with advanced non-small lung cancer(NSCLC)is docetaxel(DOC)monotherapy. However, there is very limited information about second-line and beyond chemotherapy regimens for elderly patients with advanced NSCLC. Pemetrexed(PEM)monotherapy has been recognized as a standard regimen for advanced NSCLC in second-line settings, just as DOC monotherapy has been.

The objective of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of PEM as second-line therapy and beyond for elderly patients.

The records of previously -treated elderly patients with advanced NSCLC, who had been treated with PEM as second-line therapy and beyond between July 2009 and December 2010, were retrospectively reviewed.

median age: 73 years old(range 70-79 years old); gender: male/female, 11/8; PS 0-1/≥2, 19/0; clinical stage: III B/IV/postoperative recurrence, 4/10/5; pathology: adeno/LCNEC/other, 17/1/1 patient. The objective response-rate and disease control-rate were 15. 8% and 57. 9%, respectively. Median progression-free survival time was 3. 2 months. There were no treatment-related deaths, and most of the toxicities of the treatment regimen were mild and acceptable.

PEM monotherapy exhibits activity in previously treated elderly NSCLC patients and has an acceptably low toxicity. Further study is warranted to confirm our results.