Comparison of Pemetrexed and Docetaxel as Salvage Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer After the Failure of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors
January 2014
in “
Journal of international medical research
”
TLDR Pemetrexed is as effective as docetaxel but has fewer side effects for treating nonsmall-cell lung cancer after EGFR-TKI therapy failure.
In a Phase 2 trial with 109 NSCLC patients who failed EGFR-TKI therapy, pemetrexed and docetaxel were compared as salvage chemotherapy. Both treatments showed no significant differences in disease control rate, response rate, median survival, or 1-year survival. However, docetaxel caused higher rates of nausea, myelosuppression, renal damage, and hair loss. Pemetrexed was found to be effective and better tolerated, making it a suitable option for salvage chemotherapy in these patients.