Maintenance therapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a pilot study on patients' perceptions.

Introduction: Several randomized trials on maintenance therapy (MT) for metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have demonstrated benefit in progression-free survival. More recently, a study with pemetrexed and one with erlotinib also showed significant gains in overall survival (OS). Yet, in this palliative treatment setting, the benefit has to be weighed against the potential burden of treatment, and thus patients' preferences should be taken into account.

Everolimus in combination with pemetrexed in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer previously treated with chemotherapy: a phase I study using a novel, adaptive Bayesian dose-escalation model.

Introduction: Pemetrexed is an established second-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Everolimus has previously been shown to have some clinical activity when used as a single agent in NSCLC. The aim of this phase I study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of combining pemetrexed with everolimus in patients with NSCLC who had disease progression after one previous treatment.

Observational Aranesp Survey to Investigate the Q3W Schedule (OASIS): a prospective observational study of treatment of chemotherapy-induced anaemia with every 3 weeks darbepoetin alfa.

Introduction: This prospective observational study examined the adherence to published European guidelines on erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) and the pattern of use and effect of darbepoetin alfa (DA) 500 microg once every 3 weeks (Q3W) for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anaemia (CIA).

Materials And Methods: A total of 293 patients were included (263 solid tumour, 30 haematologic malignancy). Their mean age was 63 years, 51% were male, 57% had platinum-based chemotherapy.

Long-term survival of surgically staged IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer treated with surgical combined modality approach: analysis of a 7-year prospective experience.

Background: The aim of this study was to analyse the outcome of surgically staged IIIA-N2 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with induction chemotherapy followed by surgical exploration.

Methods: Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out on a prospective cohort of 131 mediastinoscopy-proven IIIA-N2 NSCLC patients. Three preoperative cycles of vindesine-ifosfamide-cisplatin (VIP) were given.