[Efficacy of Cetuximab in Combination with Chemotherapy in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer]

Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody directed against epidermal growth factor receptor. Emerging evidence showed improved efficacy with the addition of cetuximab to chemotherapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the data in oriental population are limited. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of cetuximab in combination with chemotherapy in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC.

NSCLC patients receiving cetuximab in combination with chemotherapy in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College were enrolled and retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristic, efficacy, outcome and toxicity data were analyzed.

A total of 40 patients were enrolled into this study in which 29 were male, 36 with adenocarcinoma. In the 23 patients who had received palliative chemotherapy previously (with a median of 2 prior chemotherapy regimens), the median progression-free survival (PFS) after the last prior chemotherapy regimen was 2.3 months. For the overall population, 13 (32.5%) patients achieved partial response after cetuximab in combination with chemotherapy. Response rate were 52.9% (9/17) and 17.4% (4/23) in chemotherapy-naive patients and chemotherapy-treated patients, respectively (P=0.018). The median PFS was 4.8 months for the overall population. In chemotherapy-naive patients and chemotherapy-treated patients, the median PFS was 8.4 months and 4.1 months, respectively (P=0.062). The estimated median overall survival was 17.1 months. Toxicities were generally manageable and no treatment-related deaths occurred.

Cetuximab in addition to chemotherapy appears to be associated with promising efficacy and acceptable toxicity profile in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC. Further validation is needed.