SWITCH MAINTENANCE WITH ORAL VINORELBINE: A PROMISING APPROACH FOR EGFR WILD-TYPE ADENOCARCINOMA?

Abstract

This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of switch maintenance therapy with oral vinorelbine in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with adenocarcinoma limited to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild type. Materials and Methods: In this single randomized trial, patients with advanced stage (IIIB and IV) NSCLC with adenocarcinoma EGFR wild-type status, treated with 6 cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients did not show progression after first-line chemotherapy were randomly assigned to receive switch maintenance with vinorelbine (80 mg/m2, day 1, 8) (group I) or the best supportive care until disease progression (group II). Results: The median progression free survival (PFS) was 9.7 months for group I versus 5.7 months for group II with statistically significant difference between both groups [HR = 1.15; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.49; P value = 0.002], while the median overall survival (OS) was 13.2 months for group I versus 11.9 months for group II with no statistically significant differences between both groups [HR = 1.24; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.46; P value = 0. 3]. The patients who received oral vinorelbine had tolerable toxicity profile. Conclusion: Switch maintenance therapy with oral vinorelbine, though improve PFS, did not improve OS in patients with NSCLC with adenocarcinoma EGFR wild type.