[Fourth-line and beyond therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective analysis]

A common consensus has been reached regarding first- and second-line therapies for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The newest guideline from National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) also provides recommendations for third-line therapy. This study focused on fourth-line and enhanced treatments for advanced NSCLC. Treatment results and impact factors were analyzed and discussed.

A total of 140 patients with advanced NSCLC were selected and their data were analyzed. Response rate, survival rate, and prognostic factors were evaluated.

Among the 140 patients, 12.9% (18 cases) showed partial response, 25.7% (36 cases) suffered from a stable disease, and 38.6% (54 cases) exhibited a disease control rate. Median overall survival (OS) and fourth-line therapy OS were 31 months and 10.1 months, respectively. The median progression free survival (PFS) of fourth-line therapy was 2.6 months. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated different therapy regimens and suggested whether or not patients should undergo follow-up treatments. These parameters were independent prognostic factors of the OS of the fourth-line therapy; by contrast, no independent impact factor of PFS was found. Chemotherapy resulted in better median OS in fourth-line therapy than in targeted therapy (11.7 months vs 7.1 months, P=0.013). Considering the median OS of fourth-line therapy, we observed that single agent therapy did not significantly differ from double agent therapy; likewise, we found that first-time usage did not significantly differ from multiple usage of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Fourth-line therapy is recommended to increase the survival of advanced NSCLC patients. Nevertheless, the role of fourth-line therapy in advanced NSCLC should be further assessed in clinical trials.