Clinical Study of Erlotinib as Second / Third Line Therapy in Treatment of Stage ⅢB/Ⅳ Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of erlotinib on the patients at stage ⅢB or Ⅳ of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC). Methods Thirty patients with advanced NSCLC received erlotinib orally at the dose of 150mg/d until disease progressed or intolerable adverse effects occurred from June to December 2006. Results None of the cases got complete remission, 7 cases got partial remission, 16 cases remained stable and 7 cases showed disease progression. The total remission rate was 7/30(23.3%). The disease-control rate was 23/30(76.7%), median overall survival was 11.5 months, while median progression-free survival was 8 months. Conclusion Erlotinib is an effective treatment for advanced NSCLC patients as second or third line therapy with few adverse effects.