Nab-paclitaxel Monotherapy in EGFR-Mutated Advanced Lung Cancer
Posted: Monday, July 26, 2021
According to research presented in Cancer Treatment and Research Communications, nab-paclitaxel monotherapy may result in moderate antitumor activity in some patients with non–small cell lung cancer. Patients who are ineligible to receive platinum-based chemotherapy, the standard of care for advanced EGFR-mutated disease, may benefit from single-agent nab-paclitaxel.
“This study also emphasizes the importance of systematic [central nervous system] evaluation in clinical trials, so robust [central nervous system] efficacy data can be obtained with systemic therapies, including trials of chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy,” noted Renato Martins, MD, of the University of Washington, and colleagues.
Between December 2012 and April 2017, the phase II study enrolled 26 patients, with a median age of 65 years; 69% were women. All patients had experienced disease progression following first-line tyrosine kinase inhibition, and none had previously undergone chemotherapy. Central nervous system (CNS) metastatic disease was noted at baseline for 31% of patients, and 42% had no history of smoking. Of the 26 enrolled patients, 21 were considered evaluable.
Patients received 125 mg/m2 of nab-paclitaxel on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle, continuing treatment until disease progression, untenable toxicity, or withdrawal from the study. Overall, 9 of 26 patients (35%) achieved a confirmed partial response. The disease control rate was 58%, and median progression-free survival was 4 months. Disease progression occurring first in the CNS was common.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit sciencedirect.com.
