Pemetrexed Therapy in Elderly Patients With Good Performance Status: Analysis of Two Phase III Trials of Patients With Nonsquamous Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

• Published in: Clinical lung cancer Vol. 13; no. 5; pp. 340 - 346
• Main Authors: Gridelli, Cesare, Brodowicz, Thomas, Langer, Corey J, Peterson, Patrick, Islam, Mominul, Guba, Susan C, Moore, Patti, Visseren-Grul, Carla M, Scagliotti, Giorgio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-09-2012
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - mortality; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - pathology; Cisplatin - administration & dosage; Elderly; Female; Glutamates - administration & dosage; Guanine - administration & dosage; Guanine - analogs & derivatives; Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Medicine; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - drug therapy; Lung Neoplasms - mortality; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Nonsquamous histology; Non–small-cell lung cancer; Pemetrexed; Prognosis; Pulmonary/Respiratory; Retrospective Studies; Survival Rate; Non–small-cell lung cancer; Nonsquamous histology; Elderly; Pemetrexed
• ISSN: 1525-7304; 1938-0690
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cllc.2011.12.002

Micro-Abstract The efficacy and safety of pemetrexed treatment was evaluated in elderly patients with nonsquamous advanced non–small-cell lung cancer and a performance status of 0-1. Data from 2 large randomized studies were retrospectively analyzed for patients aged <65 years, ≥ 65 years and < 70 years, ≥ 70 years. Safety and efficacy were similar between older and younger groups. Pemetrexed (first-line treatment combined with cisplatin or as maintenance therapy) is a viable treatment option for these patients.