The results of first line systemic therapy of NSCLC in clinical practice

Abstract

Introduction. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world. Every year, there are over 1.4 million new cases and about 1.3 million deaths due to lung cancer. Data on the results of palliative treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer in Poland are scarce.

Methods. The results of first-line palliative chemotherapy in 204 lung cancer patients treated in the period 2011–2014 in two cancer centres were analysed.

Results. The mean age of the study group was 63.4 ± 8.3 years; 155 patients received chemotherapy with cisplatin, 33 — schemes containing carboplatin, 8 — inhibitors of EGFR tyrosine kinase, 8 — vinorelbine or gemcitabine mo­notherapy. Complete regression was observed in 2 patients, partial response — in 52 patients (25%), stable disease in 92 (45%) and 58 (28%) patients had progression. Median survival for the entire group of patients was 12 months. Multidrug chemotherapy with cisplatin compared with chemotherapy involving carboplatin monotherapy was associated with increased toxicity in total (p = 0.04). An increased toxicity concerned only to haematological compli­cations and renal insufficiency expressed by the level of creatinine in blood serum. There was no apparent effect of chemotherapy on the overall quality of life.

Conclusions. The results of palliative treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in daily practice are comparable to those obtained in prospective clinical trials despite having a different population of treated patients. The use of palliative chemotherapy had no significant effect on quality of life.