PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Elisabeth Quoix
AU  - Virginie Westeel
AU  - Lionel Moreau
AU  - Eric Pichon
AU  - Armelle Lavolé
AU  - Jérome Dauba
AU  - Didier Debieuvre
AU  - Pierre Jean Souquet
AU  - Laurence Bigay-Game
AU  - Eric Dansin
AU  - Michel Poudenx
AU  - Olivier Molinier
AU  - Fabien Vaylet
AU  - Denis Moro-Sibilot
AU  - Denis Herman
AU  - Helene Sennelart
AU  - Jean Tredaniel
AU  - Bertrand Mennecier
AU  - Franck Morin
AU  - Laurence Baudrin
AU  - Bernard Milleron
AU  - Gérard Zalcman
TI  - Second-line therapy in elderly patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer
AID  - 10.1183/09031936.00048213
DP  - 2014 Jan 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 240--249
VI  - 43
IP  - 1
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/1/240.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/1/240.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2014 Jan 01; 43
AB  - There is no dedicated study on second-line treatment for elderly patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We report the results on second-line erlotinib therapy from our previously published phase III study comparing single-agent therapy with platinum-based doublet (carboplatin plus paclitaxel) therapy in 451elderly patients. Erlotinib was given to patients exhibiting disease progression or experiencing excessive toxicity during first-line therapy, until further progression or unacceptable toxicity. In total, 292 (64.7%) patients received erlotinib as second-line therapy. Initial performance status 0–1, stage IV NSCLC and an Activities of Daily Living score of 6 were independent factors for receiving erlotinib. Median (95% CI) overall survival was 4 (3.2–6.7) versus 6.8 (5.0–8.3) months in the single-agent and doublet arms, respectively (p=0.089). Performance status 0–1, never having smoked, adenocarcinoma and weight loss ≤5% were favourable independent prognostic factors of survival, whereas the randomisation arm had no significant impact. Among the 292 patients who received erlotinib, 60 (20.5%) experienced grade 3–4 toxic effects, the most frequent being rash. Erlotinib as second-line therapy is feasible, leading to efficacy results similar to those obtained in a previous randomised study that was not dedicated to elderly patients, with acceptable toxicity. Erlotinib is a feasible second-line therapy in elderly patients with advanced nonsmall cell carcinoma http://ow.ly/pz6ud