Randomized Phase III Trial of Pemetrexed Versus Docetaxel in Patients With Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Previously Treated With Chemotherapy.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy and toxicity of pemetrexed versus docetaxel in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) previously treated with chemotherapy.

Patients And Methods: Eligible patients had a performance status 0 to 2, previous treatment with one prior chemotherapy regimen for advanced NSCLC, and adequate organ function. Patients received pemetrexed 500 mg/m intravenously (IV) day 1 with vitamin B, folic acid, and dexamethasone or docetaxel 75 mg/m IV day 1 with dexamethasone every 21 days.

Phase III Study Comparing Cisplatin Plus Gemcitabine With Cisplatin Plus Pemetrexed in Chemotherapy-Naive Patients With Advanced-Stage Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: Cisplatin plus gemcitabine is a standard regimen for first-line treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Phase II studies of pemetrexed plus platinum compounds have also shown activity in this setting.

Patients And Methods: This noninferiority, phase III, randomized study compared the overall survival between treatment arms using a fixed margin method (hazard ratio [HR] < 1.

Phase III Study of Pemetrexed in Combination With Cisplatin Versus Cisplatin Alone in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Purpose: Patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rapidly progressing malignancy with a median survival time of 6 to 9 months, have previously responded poorly to chemotherapy. We conducted a phase III trial to determine whether treatment with pemetrexed and cisplatin results in survival time superior to that achieved with cisplatin alone.

Patients And Methods: Chemotherapy-naive patients who were not eligible for curative surgery were randomly assigned to receive pemetrexed 500 mg/m and cisplatin 75 mg/m on day 1, or cisplatin 75 mg/m on day 1.

A Systematic Review of Progress toward Unlocking the Power of Epigenetics in NSCLC: Latest Updates and Perspectives.

Epigenetic research has the potential to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of cancer, specifically non-small-cell lung cancer, and support our efforts to personalize the management of the disease. Epigenetic alterations are expected to have relevance for early detection, diagnosis, outcome prediction, and tumor response to therapy. Additionally, epi-drugs as therapeutic modalities may lead to the recovery of genes delaying tumor growth, thus increasing survival rates, and may be effective against tumors without druggable mutations.