Quality of Life in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy of Platinum Combination in Old versus New Standard Chemotherapy Regimen
Jedzada Maneechawakajorn MD*, Jeerajed Suksuperm MD*
Affiliation : * Department of Medicine, Rajavithi Hospital, College of Medicine, Rangsit University, Bangkok, Thailand
Background and
Objective : Non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) mostly are adenocarcinoma but minor squamous cell
carcinoma is related to smoking. Surgery has a major role in early stage with chemotherapy or radiation in advanced stage.
Platinum combination chemotherapy could increase the progression free survival which may be combined with etoposide as
the old standard regimen or paclitaxel/gemcitabine as the new standard regimen with slightly more benefit. This study was
conducted to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and response of chemotherapy.
Material and Method: The prospective study in advanced NSCLC enrolled 88 patients receiving chemotherapy with old or
new standard regimen in the Oncology Unit, Medicine Department of Rajavithi Hospital from January 2004 to December
2009. The assessments were composed of the result of treatment and QoL evaluated by Functional Assessment of Cancer
Therapy-Lung Cancer (FACT-L) in both groups.
Results : The 88 advanced NSCLC patients received old standard chemotherapy 49 cases and new standard chemotherapy 39
cases. No statistically significant difference was found in baseline characteristics and most had adenocarcinoma subtype. The
overall QoL scores before and after treatment were similar except a slight decrease in social/family well-being. The overall
response rate was increased in the new standard regimen group compared with the old regimen group (61.5% versus
24.5%) but without statistical difference in median progression free survival (23 and 20 weeks, respectively).
Conclusion : New standard chemotherapy regimen demonstrated increased overall response rate and without decreased
QoL.
Keywords : Advanced non-small cell lung cancer, Platinum combination chemotherapy, Functional assessment of cancer therapy-lung cancer (FACT-L), Quality of life
