Pang Fuwan Uses Yao Medicine to Observe the Therapeutic Effects on the Physical and Mental Symptoms of Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective: Investigate the efficacy and safety of Yao Medicine in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma, and explore the best therapeutic measure for clinical benefit. Methods: From July 2020 to July 2022, 84 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma were selected and randomly divided into the Observation Group and control group, and the control group was treated with routine Western medicine, with 42 cases in each group. The activity of daily living (ADL) was assessed before and after treatment, meanwhile, the self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety SAS (SAS) were used to assess the improvement of a bad mood, and quality of life SF-36 was used to assess the quality of life, to judge the efficacy and safety. Results: The effective rate of observation group was 91.67%. The effective rate of the control group was 76.19%. The effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P 0.05). There were no significant differences in the scores of SDS, SAS and quality of life between the two groups before treatment (P > 0.05), and after treatment, the scores of SDS, SAS and quality of life in the two groups were compared with those in the control group (P > 0.05), the scores of VAS, SDS and SAS decreased significantly, while ESCV, angle of straight leg elevation, ADL, physiological score, emotional score, social score and health status score increased significantly, the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05). Conclusion: Yao Medicine can improve the psychosomatic symptoms of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung carcinoma better, with better efficacy and higher safety.

Analysis and Review of Downregulated Actin Cytoskeletal Proteins in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Actin, a highly conserved protein, plays a dominant role in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Late diagnosis and the aggressive nature of NSCLC pose a significant threat. Studying the clinic pathological properties of NSCLC proteins is a potential alternative for developing treatment strategies. Towards this, 35 downregulated actin cytoskeletal proteins on NSCLC prognosis and treatment were studied by examining their protein-protein interactions, gene ontology enrichment terms, and signaling pathways. Using PubMed, various proteins in NSCLC were identified. The protein-protein interactions and functional associations of these proteins were examined using the STRING database. The focal adhesion signaling pathway was selected from all available KEGG and Wiki pathways because of its role in regulating gene expression, facilitating cell movement and reproduction, and significantly impacting NSCLC. The protein-protein interaction network of the 35 downregulated actin cytoskeleton proteins revealed that ACTG1, ACTR2, ACTR3, ANXA2, ARPC4, FLNA, TLN1, CALD1, MYL6, MYH9, MYH10, TPM1, TPM3, TPM4, PFN1, IQGAP1, MSN, and ZXY exhibited the highest number of interactions. Whereas HSPB1, CTNNA1, KRT17, KRT7, FLNB, SEPT2, and TUBA1B displayed medium interactions, while UTRN, TUBA1B, and DUSP23 had relatively fewer interactions. It was discovered that focal adhesions are critical in connecting membrane receptors with the actin cytoskeleton. In addition, protein kinases, phosphatases, and adapter proteins were identified as key signaling molecules in this process, greatly influencing cell shape, motility, and gene expression. Our analysis shows that the focal adhesion pathway plays a crucial role in NSCLC and is essential for developing effective treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes.

Efficacy and Safety of Primary Radiotherapy in Combination with EGFR-TKIs for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Harboring EGFR Mutation

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of EGFR-TKI with the radiotherapy in EGFR mutant metastatic NSCLC. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 72 patients with stage IV lung cancer with EGFR-sensitive mutation. Patients in the A group were treated with the first-generation EGFR-TKI (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor) combined with radiotherapy for primary tumors (34 cases). The B group was treated with the first-generation EGFR-TKI alone until the disease progressed (38 cases). PFS, OS, pulmonary infection and hematological toxicity during treatment were commented in both groups. Results: The objective remission rate was 47.1% (16/34) in the A group and 21.1% (8/38) in the B group. There was a significant difference between the two groups. There was no significant difference in hematological toxicity between the A group and the B group. There were 10 patients (29.4%) with degree II pulmonary infection in the A group and 3 patients (7.9%) in the B group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant, suggesting that the incidence of pneumonia in the A group was higher than that in the B group. The median PFS (Progression-Free Survival)) and OS (Overall Survival) of the A group were significantly longer than those of the B group (16.5 months vs 9 months) and the median OS (36 months vs 19 months). The PFS and OS in the A group were significantly longer than those in the B group. Conclusion: EGFR-TKI combined with primary radiotherapy can significantly prolong the drug resistance time of EGFR mutant metastatic NSCLC.

Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with GP chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer： a meta-analysis

Objective： To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with gemcitabine plus cisplatin（GP） in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： we performed a systematicsearch in the electronic databases such as Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Embase, Chinese Journal Full-text Database,Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Full-text Database andWanfang Database up to 30 January 2017. Randomized controlled trials （RCT） of Shenqi Fuzheng Injectioncombined with GP chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced NSCLC were searched, and all the RCTs wereconducted on methodological quality assessment. Data extraction and data analysis were according to standards ofCochrane systematic review. Results： Eight trials were included including a total of 701 patients. Meta-analysisresults： Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with GP chemotherapy could significantly improve the functionalstatus of patients with NSCLC （OR = 3.44, 95% CI [2.26, 5.25], P 〈 0.0001） and clinical treatment efficacy （OR =（OR = 0.31, 95%CI [0.20, 0.47], P 〈 0.0001. The rate of leukopenia （OR = .31, 95%CI [0.20,0.47], P 〈 0.0001）,thrombocytopenia （OR = 0.58, 95%CI [0.37, 0.91], P = 0.020）, hemoglobin decline （（OR = 0.31, 95%CI [0.16,0.59], P = 0.0004） and incidence of gastrointestinal reactions （OR = 0.58,P 〈 0.05） could be reduced. Conclusion：Shenqi Fuzheng injection combined with GP chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced NSCLC obtainedsignificantly clinical efficacy. The quality of the literature incorporated is low, the conclusion requires high-qualityresearch to further prove.

Nab-paclitaxel(abraxane)-based chemotherapy to treat elderly patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer:a single center,randomized and open-label clinical trial

Background： The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of abraxane-based chemotherapy with/without nedaplatin in elderly patients with non-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Materials and methods： From October 2009 to January 2013, 48 elderly patients （≥65 years） with NSCLC were investigated in this clinical trial. The patients were randomized and equally allocated into arms A and AP- （A） abraxane （130 mg/m2, days 1, 8）; （B） abraxane ＋ nedaplatin （20 mg/m2 days 1-3, q3w）. The parameters of objective response rate （ORR）, disease control rate （DCR）, progression-free survival （PFS）, overall survival （OS） and side effects were evaluated between two arms. Results： Over 80% of the patients completed four cycles of chemotherapy. The total ORR was 21.3 %, DCR was 55.3%, PFS 4.5 months and OS 12.6 months. No significant difference was found between arms A and AP in terms of ORR （16.7% vs. 26.1%, P=0.665） or DCR （55.3% vs. 56.5%, P=0.871）. The median PFS in arm A was 3.3 months [25-75% confidence interval （CI）： 3.1-7.2] and 5.5 months （25-75% CI： 3.2-7.0） in arm AP with no statistical significance （P=0.640）. The median OS in arm A was 12.6 months （25-75% CI： 5.7-26.2） and 15.1 months （25-75% CI： 6.4-35.3） in arm AP with no statistical significance （P=0.770）. The side effects were mainly grade 1-2. The incidence of grade 3-4 toxicities was 29.1% in arm A and 62.5% in arm AP with a statistical significance （P=0.020）. Conclusions： Compared with combined therapy, abraxane alone chemotherapy was beneficial for elderly NSCLC patients with better tolerability and less adverse events, whereas did not significantly differ in terms of ORR, DCR, PFS or OS.

Weekly albumin-bound paclitaxel/cisplatin versus gemcitabine/cisplatin as first-line therapy for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer:A phase II open-label clinical study

Objective: The aim of this trial was to compare both the efficacy and the safety of a weekly nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel(nab-paclitaxel) plus cisplatin vs. gemcitabine plus cisplatin in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods: A total of 84 participants received either 100 mg/m^2 nab-paclitaxel each week on d 1, 8 and 15 of a 28 day cycle, as well as cisplatin 75 mg/m^2 on d 1 every three weeks(nab-TP arm); or gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m^2 on d 1 and 8, plus cisplatin 75 mg/m^2 on d 1 every three weeks(GP arm). The primary end point was progression-free survival(PFS). The secondary end points were overall response rate(ORR) and overall survival(OS).Results: According to our analysis, the median PFS was 4.8 months for the nab-TP arm vs. 5.2 months for the GP arm(P=0.55). Analysis showed the median OS was 14.6 months for participants who were in the nab-TP arm vs. 15.1 months for those in the GP arm(P=0.94). Besides, nab-TP showed OS advantages over GP in patients harboring epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) mutation(26.7 vs. 15.3 months, P=0.046) and patients with a performance status of 0(23.5 vs. 14.7 months, P=0.020). It was found that incidences of drug-related grade 3 or 4 toxicities were comparable between the two treatment arms.Conclusions: Therefore, it can be seen that weekly nab-TP treatment has a similar efficacy and tolerability to GP treatment for patients who are undergoing their first-line treatment for NSCLC. It could be that survival differences among platinum doublets in the context of both EGFR mutation and performance status have the potential to be the basis for our further clinical trials.

Nedaplatin/Gemcitabine Versus Carboplatin/Gemcitabine in Treatment of Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective： To evaluate the efficacy and safety of nedaplatin/gemcitabine （NG） and carboplatin/gemcitabine （CG） in the management of untreated advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： Sixty-two patients with previously untreated advanced NSCLC were recruited between June 2006 and November 2007. Subjects were randomly assigned to the NG arm （n=30） and the CG arm （n=32）. Only patients （24 and 25 in the NG and CG arms, respectively） who completed 〉2 chemotherapy cycles were included in the data analysis. The primary outcome measure was the objective response rate （ORR）. The secondary outcome measures included progression-free survival （PFS）, overall survival （OS） and adverse events. Results： There were no statistically significant differences in the efficacy measures （ORR, P=0.305; median PFS, P=0.298, median OS, P=0.961） or in the major adverse events （grade 3/4 neutropenia, P=0.666; grade 3/4 anemia, P=0.263; grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia, P=0.222） between the two treatment arms. However, there was a trend towards higher ORR （37.5% vs. 24.0%）, longer PFS （6.0 vs. 5.0 months）, and less adverse events in the NG arm. Conclusion： NG regimen seems to be superior over CG regimen for advance NSCLS, but further investigation is needed to validate this superiority.

Efficacy and safety evaluation of icotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective： To evaluate the efficacy and safety of icotinib hydrochloride in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： A total of 89 patients with stage IIIB or IV NSCLC received icotinib at a dose of 125 mg administered 3 times a day. Icotinib treatment was continued until disease progression or development of unacceptable toxicity. Results： A total of 89 patients were assessable. In patients treated with icotinib, the overall response rate （RR） was 36.0% （32/89）, and the disease control rate （DCR） was 69.7% （62/89）. RR and DCR were significantly improved in patients with adenocarcinoma versus non-adenocarcinoma （P〈0.05）. The symptom improvement rate was 57.3% （51/89）, and the main symptoms improved were cough, pain, chest distress, dyspnea, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status. The main toxic effects were rash [30/89 （33.7%）] and diarrhea [15/89 （16.9%）]. The level of toxicity was typically low. Conclusions： The use of icofinib hydrochloride in the treatment of advanced NSCLC is efficacious and safe, and its toxic effects are tolerable.

TT genotype of GNAS1 T393C polymorphism predicts better outcome of advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients

AIM: To evaluate the potential prognostic value of GNAS1 T393 C polymorphism in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.METHODS: We extracted genomic DNA from the peripheral blood leucocytes of 94 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the allelic discrimination. The correlation between genotype and overall survival was evaluated using the multivariate analysis and Kaplan-Meier approach.RESULTS: Thirty-eight out of 94(40%) patients displayed a TT genotype, 29 out of 94(31%) a CT genotype and 27 out of 94(29%) a CC genotype. The median survival of TT(25 mo) genotype carriers was longer than CT(12 mo) or CC(8 mo) genotype carriers. The favorable TT genotype predicted better overall survival(OS)(2-year OS: 48%; P =0.01) compared with CT(2-year OS: 18%) or CC(2-year OS: 15%) genotype. However, dichotomization between C-genotypes(CC + CT) and T-genotypes(TT) revealed significantly lower survival rates(2-year OS: 16%; P = 0.01) for C allele carriers.CONCLUSION: Our data provided strong evidence that the GNAS1 T393 C genetic polymorphism influenced the prognosis in advanced non-small lung cancer with a worse outcome for C allele carriers.

Sequential therapy according to distinct disease progression patterns in advanced ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer after crizotinib treatment

Objective: Crizotinib is recommended as the first-line therapy for advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK)-positive non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC). Despite its initial efficacy, patients ultimately acquire resistance to crizotinib within 1 year. In such patients, the optimal sequential therapy after crizotinib treatment remains unknown. This study explored which sequential therapy option confers the greatest benefit.Methods: A total of 138 patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC resistant to crizotinib were studied. Based on patterns of disease progression of metastases, patients were divided into 3 groups: brain progression, non-liver progression, and liver progression. Sequential therapies included crizotinib continuation plus local therapy, nextgeneration ALK inhibitors(ALKi's), and chemotherapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival(OS) from the time of crizotinib resistance to death or last follow-up.Results: The 138 patients included 64 cases with progression in brain, 57 cases in non-liver sites and 17 cases in liver. A significant difference in OS was observed among the distinct progression pattern(median OS, 25.4 months in brain, 15.8 months in non-liver, and 10.8 months in liver, respectively, P=0.020). The difference in OS among sequential therapies was statistically significant in the non-liver progression group(median OS, 27.6 months with next-generation ALKi's, 13.3 months with crizotinib continuation, and 10.8 months with chemotherapy,respectively, P=0.019). However, crizotinib continuation plus local therapy seems to provide non-inferior median OS compared with next-generation ALKi's for patients with brain progression(median OS, 28.9 months vs.32.8 months, P=0.204). And no significant differences in OS were found in patients with progression in liver(P=0.061).Conclusions: Crizotinib continuation together with local therapy might be a feasible strategy for patients with progression in brain beyond crizotinib resistance, as well as next-generation ALKi's. Next-generation ALKi's tended to provide a survival benefit in patients with non-liver progression.

A phaseⅠtrial of an oral subtype-selective histone deacetylase inhibitor,chidamide,in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective： This phase I study was to evaluate safety, maximum tolerated dose, pharmacokinetics and preliminary antitumor activity of chidamide, a novel subtype-selective histone deacetylase （HDAC） inhibitor, in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： Ten patients received oral chidamide 20, 25, or 30 mg twice per week continuously with paclitaxel （175 mg/m2） and carboplatin [area under the curve （AUC） 5 mg/mL/min] administered in a 3-week cycle. Patients with response and stable disease after four cycles maintained chidamide monotherapy until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Blood samples were collected for pharmacoldnetic analysis after the first single oral of chidamide and first combination treatment in cycle 1 from all patients. Results： Two dose-limiting toxicities were recorded in the 30 mg cohort, including thrombocytopenia and prolonged neutropenia in the first cycle. Grade 3/4 neutropenia in any cycle was observed in all patients, but was not associated with significant complications. Other grade 3/4 hematologic toxicities included thrombocytopenia and leucopenia. No significant changes were observed in pharmacokinetic parameters for both chidamide and paclitaxel. One patient in the 20 mg cohort had confirmed partial response （PR）. Two out of 5 patients with brain metastases had intracranial complete remission after 4-cycle treatment. Conclusions： Chidamide combined with paclitaxel and carboplatin was generally tolerated without unanticipated toxicities or clinically relevant pharmacokinetic interactions. The recommended dose for chidamide in this combination was established at 20 mg, and a phase II trial is ongoing with this regimen in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Achievable complete remission of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: Case report and review of the literature

Surgery is the first choice of treatment for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC), but few patients can be treated surgically because of either advanced disease or poor pulmonary function. Other therapies include radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as complementary and alternative therapies, usually with disappointing results. Bronchial artery infusion(BAI) is a manageable and effective method for treating advanced NSCLC. Outcome is good by BAI due to its repeatability and low toxicity. Icotinib hydrochloride is a newly developed and highly specific epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor and has been safely and efficiently used to treat advanced NSCLC. We herein report a 73-year-old patient with chronic cough, who was diagnosed with advanced NSCLC with the EGFR mutation of L858 R substitution in exon 21, and treated with the combination of oral icotinib and BAI chemotherapy as the first-line therapy, which resulted in a satisfactory clinical outcome. Complete remission of advanced NSCLC can be achieved using the combination of oral icotinib and BAI chemotherapy.

Efficacy and safety of anlotinib plus S-1as thirdly-line or later-line treatmentin advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Objective Anlotinib,an oral vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR2)inhibitor,has confirmed antitumor activity in lung cancer in both in vitro and in vivo assays,and has been recommended as third-line treatment agent in non-oncogene driven non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).This prospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of anlotinib plus S-1 for third-or later-line treatment in patients with advanced NSCLC.Methods Patients with histologically or cytologically confirmed NSCLC,and documented disease progression following second-line chemotherapy,and/or epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor(EGFR-TKI)treatment were enrolled in this study.The patients were treated anlotinib(8 mg daily d 1–14)and S-1(60 mg/m^2 d 1–14)and the treatment was repeated every 3 weeks.Treatment was continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred.The objective response rate(ORR),disease control rate(DCR),progression-free survival(PFS),and adverse events(AEs)were reviewed and evaluated.Results Forty-one patients were enrolled in the study between June 2018 and December 2018.The total ORR and DCR were 26.8%and 80.5%,respectively.The median PFS was 5.2 months[95%confidence interval(CI),3.9 to 6.6 months].In the univariate analysis,there was a significant difference in the median PFS between patients with brain metastases and those without brain metastases(4.8 months vs 5.9 months,respectively;P=0.039).The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG)performance status(P=0.002),lines of therapy(P=0.015),and therapeutic evaluation(P=0.014)were independent factors that influenced PFS.The most common AEs were hypertension,proteinuria,myelosuppression,gastrointestinal reactions,fatigue,and mucositis.Conclusion Anlotinib plus S-1 is an effective and safe regimen for advanced NSCLC as third-or later-line therapy.

Erlotinib usage after prior treatment with gefitinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A clinical perspective and review of published literature

Erlotinib and gefitinib are among the most widely researched, used and available molecularly targeted therapies for treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). They are both tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs) of the epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR). In the past decade, there have been reports on clinical benefit from use of erlotinib after gefitinib failure in NSCLC patients. A review of published literature on this focussed topic is provided herein. Pooled analysis of published literature shows that majority of patients were female(60.6%), non-smokers(64.5%), had adenocarcinoma histology(88.3%) and were of East Asian ethnicity(92.3%). Presence of sensitizing EGFR mutation was detected in 48.4% of subjects. Disease control rates with prior gefitinib therapy and with subsequent erlotinib treatment were 79.4% and 45.4% respectively. Based upon our review, the most important predictive factor for clinical benefit from erlotinib identified was previous response to gefitinib. The exact explanations for the potential benefit from erlotinib use in this patient population is still not known and further studies are required to determine the role of molecular mechanismsespecially those related to resistance to initial EGFR TKI therapy.

A Phase Ⅱ Trial of Gefitinib as Maintenance Therapy after First-Line Chemotherapy for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in China

Objective： To investigate the efficacy and safety of gefitinib as maintenance therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer （NSCLC） patients who obtained disease control （DC） after first-line chemotherapy in Chinese population. Methods： Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC treated with standard chemotherapy and obtained DC were assigned to receive gefitinib as maintenance treatment. The primary end point was overall survival time （OS）, the second end point was disease control rate （DCR） and progression-free survival time （PFS）. DCR included complete response （CR） plus partial response （PR） and plus stable disease （SD）. The impact of epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） mutation status on the treatment as exploratory point was also evaluated by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography （DHPLC）. Results： Among 75 enrolled patients, the overall response rate was 37% and the DCR （CR ＋ PR ＋SD） was 66%. The median PFS and OS were 17.13 months and 26.13 months respectively, with 1- and 2-year survival rates 89.3% and 34.7%. Patients harboring somatic EGFR mutations obtained a prolonged median PFS and OS compared with EGFR wide type （25.1 vs. 13.0 months, P=0.019 and 33.37 vs. 25.57 months, P=0.014, respectively）. In COX regression model, only EGFR mutation status was the independently factor influencing both PFS and OS （P=0.029 and 0.017, respectively）, however, rash status was the predictor in terms of PFS （P=0.027）. Conclusion： Gefitinib produced encouraging survival when delivered as maintenance therapy in Chinese patients obtaining DC after first-line chemotherapy, especially for patients carrying somatic EGFR mutations. EGFR mutation is an independently predictive factor of survival.

A phase I study of nimotuzumab plus docetaxel in chemotherapy- refractory/resistant patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Background： To determine the safety and therapeutic efficacy of nimotuzumab （h-R3） combined with docetaxel in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC） patients who have failed to respond to prior first-line chemotherapy. Methods： In this single-center, open-label, dose-escalating phase I trial, patients with epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）-expressing stage IV NSCLC were treated with nimotuzumab plus doeetaxel according to a dose escalation schedule. The safety and efficacy of the combination treatment were observed and analyzed.Results： There were 12 patients with EGFR-expressing stage IV NSCLC enrolled. The dose of nimotuzumab was escalated from 200 to 600 mg/week. The longest administration of study drug was 40 weeks at the 600 mg/week dose level. Grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ toxicities included neutropenia and fatigue, and other toxicities included rash. Dose-limiting toxicity occurred with Grade 3 fatigue at the 200 mg dose level of nimotuzumab and Grade 4 neutropenia with pneumonia at the 600 mg dose level of nimotuzumab. No objective responses were observed, and stable disease was observed in eight patients （66.7%）. The median progression-free survival （PFS） was 4.4 months in all patients, 1.3 months in patients with the EGFR mutation, and 4.4 months in those with wild type EGFR （EGFR WT）. The median survival time （MST） was 21.1 months in all patients, 21.1 months in patients with EGFR mutation, and 26.4 months in patients with EGFR WT. Conclusions： Nimotuzumab and docetaxel combination therapy was found to be well tolerated and efficacious. Further study of nimotuzumab is warranted in advanced NSCLC patients.

Efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel in treating recurrent advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Objective： To observe the efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel （ABP） monotherapy in treating recurrent advanced non-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC）. Methods： We retrospectively analyzed the short-term efficacy and toxicities of ABP monotherapy in treating 21 patients who had previously undergone multiple cycles of therapy for their advanced NSCLC in our hospital since 2010. The treatment-related survival was also analyzed. Results： Of these 21 patients, the best overall response was partial response （PR） in 6 patients （28.6%）, stable disease （SD） in I0 patients （47.6%）, and progressive disease （PD） in 5 patients （23.8%）. The overall response rate （ORR） was 28.6% and the disease control rate （DCR） （PR ＋ SD） was 76.2%. The median progression-flee survival （PFS） was 4.0 months （95% CI, 5.0-7.0 months）. The main grade 3/4 toxicities included neutropenia （11.1%）, peripheral nerve toxicity （5.6%）, muscle and joint aches （5.6%）, and fatigue （5.6%）. Conclusions： The ABP monotherapy can achieve good objective response in advanced NSCLC patients who have previously received multiple cycles of treatment and be well tolerated.

Survival difference between EGFR Del19 and L858R mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients receiving gefitinib:a propensity score matching analysis

Objective： Although superior clinical benefits of epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） tyrosine kinase inhibitors （TKIs） in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer （NSCLC） had been reported, the survival difference between exon 19 deletion （Dell9） and exon 21 Leu858Arg substitution （L858R） remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences in progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival （OS） between different EGFR mutant subtypes among advanced NSCLC patients receiving gefitinib. Methods： There were 204 advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutations treated with gefitinib were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Patients were divided into the EGFR Dell9 group and the L858R mutated group according to their mutant subtype. Propensity score matching （PSM） was conducted by using a nearest-neighbor algorithm （1：1） to adjust for demographical and clinical covariates. Survival curves were constructed with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by using the log-rank test. Results： The PFS in Dell9 group was similar to that in the L858R group [before PSM 8.6 vs. 7.2 months, P=0.072; after PSM 7.3 vs. 7.2 months, P=0.155]. No differences were detected in OS between the L858R and the Dell9 group （before PSM 17.8 vs. 13.1 months, P=0.253; after PSM 16.9 vs. 13.1 months, P=0.339）. The Dell9 group was significantly younger compared with the L858R mutation group in age （P=0.015）. Conclusions： No significant difference was found in the PFS or OS between the Dell9 and L858R mutant NSCLC patients receiving gefitinib. The age gap might contribute to the survival differences between Dell9 and L858R groups. PSM is of important value to the elimination of potential bias.

Impact of crizotinib on long-term survival of ALK-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: A Chinese multicenter cohort study

Objective: Crizotinib has demonstrated promising efficacy in patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase(ALK)-positive non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC) in clinical trials. We conducted this retrospective multicenter study to assess the outcomes of crizotinib therapy in, to our knowledge, a large sample cohort of patients with ALKpositive advanced NSCLC.Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 484 unselected ALK-positive NSCLC patients treated with crizotinib at 5 cancer centers in China from January 2013 to November 2017. Clinical data were collected from the initiation of crizotinib therapy to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors(RECIST)-defined progressive disease(PD).Results: A total of 428 eligible ALK-positive NSCLC patients were enrolled, 273(63.8%) of whom received crizotinib as first-line treatment. The median progression-free survival(PFS) and overall survival(OS) from the initiation of crizotinib treatment were 14.4 [95% confidence interval(95% CI), 12.4-16.4] months and 53.4(95%CI, 33.7-73.1) months, respectively. In subgroup analyses, patients who received crizotinib as first-line treatment showed a higher disease control rate(DCR) and a longer median OS compared with second-/later-line crizotinib treatment(94.8% and OS not reached vs. 89.0% and 40.5 months, respectively). For 261 patients with RECISTdefined PD, multivariate Cox analysis revealed that in patients who received first-line crizotinib therapy, continued crizotinib beyond progressive disease(CBPD) and next-generation ALK inhibitors after crizotinib failure were associated with improved survival.Conclusions: This study has demonstrated the clinically meaningful benefit of crizotinib treatment in a large cohort of Chinese ALK-positive NSCLC patients. CBPD and next-generation ALK inhibitor treatment may provide improved survival after RECIST-defined progression on crizotinib.

Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation analysis in cytological specimens and responsiveness to gefitinib in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients

Background： Epidermal growth factor receptor（EGFR） mutation is the key predictor of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors（TKIs） efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer（NSCLC）. We conducted this study to verify the feasibility of EGFR mutation analysis in cytological specimens and investigate the responsiveness to gefitinib treatment in patients carrying EGFR mutations.Methods： A total of 210 cytological specimens were collected for EGFR mutation detection by both direct sequencing and amplification refractory mutation system（ARMS）. We analyzed EGFR mutation status by both methods and evaluated the responsiveness to gefitinib treatment in patients harboring EGFR mutations by overall response rate（ORR）, disease control rate（DCR） and progression free survival（PFS）.Results： Of all patients, EGFR mutation rate was 28.6%（60/210） by direct sequencing and 45.2%（95/210） by ARMS（P〈0.001） respectively. Among the EGFR wild type patients tested by direct sequencing, 26.7% of them were positive by ARMS. For the 72 EGFR mutation positive patients treated with gefitinib, the ORR, DCR and median PFS were 69.4%, 90.2% and 9.3 months respectively. The patients whose EGFR mutation status was negative by direct sequencing but positive by ARMS had lower ORR（48.0% vs. 80.9%, P=0.004） and shorter median PFS（7.4 vs. 10.5 months, P=0.009） as compared with that of EGFR mutation positive patients by both detection methods. Conclusions： Our study verified the feasibility of EGFR analysis in cytological specimens in advanced NSCLC. ARMS is more sensitive than direct sequencing in EGFR mutation detection. EGFR Mutation status tested on cytological samples is applicable for predicting the response to gefitinib. Abundance of EGFR mutations might have an influence on TKIs efficacy.