P11. Efficacy and safety of erlotinib in advanced squamous cell lung cancer

Marko Jakopovic; Branka Cucevic; Sanja Plestina; Suzana Kukulj; Mihovil Roglic; Silvana Smojver-Jezek; Mihovil Roglic; Marta Korsic; Gzim Redzepi; Miroslav Samarzija

doi:10.3978/j.issn.2218-6751.2014.AB023

CELCC 2014 Abstract

P11. Efficacy and safety of erlotinib in advanced squamous cell lung cancer

Marko Jakopovic^1,2, Branka Cucevic¹, Sanja Plestina¹, Suzana Kukulj¹, Mihovil Roglic¹, Silvana Smojver-Jezek¹, Mihovil Roglic¹, Marta Korsic¹, Gzim Redzepi¹, Miroslav Samarzija^1,2

¹Department for Respiratory Diseases Jordanovac, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; ²University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia

Background: Erlotinib is epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine-kinase inhibitor which showed efficacy and tolerability in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially in group of patients which harbor activating mutations in EGFR.

Aim: To determine safety and efficacy of erlotinib in patients with advanced (stage IIIB and IV) squamous NSCLC.

Methods: Patients with advanced squamous NSCLC who had failed prior chemotherapy were treated with oral erlotinib 150 mg daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Data was analyzed retrospectively.

Results: A total of 122 patients (107 men and 15 women, mean age 62±8 years) with advanced squamous NSCLC were enrolled in the study from 2006 to 2012 in 14 centers in throughout Croatia. More than 50% of patients were active smokers. Most of the patients were in performance status ECOG 1 and 2 (91%). Vast majority of patients was treated with erlotinib in third line setting. After cycle 2, 10% of patients had partial response (PR), and 45% of patients had stable diseases. In total, 55% of patients had disease control after cycle 2. Progression free survival (PFS) was 3.7 months in overall population. Statistically significant differences in PFS were recorded according to response to treatment; patients with PR after two cycles had PFS of 6.2 months comparing with patients with progressive disease of 2.0 months (P<0.001). Patients with better ECOD status (ECOG 1 and 2) had trend to improved PFS (3.8 vs. 1.9 months). Patients with rash after cycle 2 also showed trend to improved PFS (4.1 vs. 2.4 months). There were no grade 3 and 4 toxicities noticed during the study.

Conclusions: Erlotinib as single agent showed efficacy in treatment of patients with squamous cell lung cancer. There were no significant toxicities. The best predictive factor of response to treatment was response to erlotinib after 2 months of treatment.

Conflict of Interest: The study was in part supported by Roche Croatia.

Keywords: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); squamous cell carcinoma; erlotinib

doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2218-6751.2014.AB023

Cite this article as: Jakopovic M, Cucevic B, Plestina S, Kukulj S, Roglic M, Smojver-Jezek S, Roglic M, Korsic M, Redzepi G, Samarzija M. Efficacy and safety of erlotinib in advanced squamous cell lung cancer. Transl Lung Cancer Res 2014;3(5):AB023. doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2218-6751.2014.AB023

P11. Efficacy and safety of erlotinib in advanced squamous cell lung cancer

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