Imai H, et al. – The feasibility of amrubicin monotherapy in elderly patients and its efficacy in relapsed small cell lung cancer (SCLC) were examined. The recommended regimen had favorable efficacy, not only in the sensitive relapse (S) but also in the refractory relapse (R) cases, as shown in previous studies. However, hematological toxicities, particularly neutropenia, were severe. In light of these results, amrubicin appeared as a preferable standard treatment in these patients.

Methods

• In a retrospective cohort study, the clinical effects and adverse events of amrubicin treatment in elderly (≥70 years) SCLC patients with relapsed SCLC, were assessed.

Results

• 86 patients (aged ≥70 years) received amrubicin monotherapy for relapsed SCLC at four institutions, between November 2003 and September 2015.
• This study unveiled 42 cases of sensitive relapse (S) and 44 of refractory relapse (R).
• The analysis incorporated S cases with median age of 75 years (range 70–85 years) and R cases with median age of 74 years (range 70–84 years).
• As per observations, the median number of treatment cycles was three (range 1–9), and the response rate was 33.7% (40.5% in the S and 27.2% in the R cases).
• In the S patients, median progression-free survival time was 4.0 months, and 2.7 months in the R patients (p = 0.013).
• In addition, median survival time from the start of amrubicin therapy was 7.6 months in the S and 5.5 months in the R cases (p = 0.26).
• Following were the frequencies of grade ≥3 hematological toxicities: leukopenia, 60.4%; neutropenia, 74.4%; anemia, 11.6%; thrombocytopenia, 16.2%; and febrile neutropenia, 17.4%.
• Results reported treatment-related death in one patient.