Background: The aim of this study was to confirm the association between the response to docetaxel combined with platinum as first-line chemotherapy and prognosis and subsequent treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods: This study enrolled 224 patients with NSCLC diagnosed at our institution between January 2001 and August 2012. All patients received more than two cycles of docetaxel combined with platinum as first-line chemotherapy and were reassessed after two cycles. The association between the response to first-line treatment and prognosis and subsequent treatment were statistically analyzed.
Results: Among the 224 patients, 70 (31.25%) achieved partial response (PR), 90 (40.18%) stable disease (SD), and 64 (28.57%) progressive disease (PD). The overall survival (OS) of NSCLC patients with PR, SD and PR+SD was significantly longer than those with PD (P = 0.043; P = 0.000; P = 0.001). However, no significant difference was observed in OS between patients with PR and SD (P = 0.174). Cox regression analysis found treatment response was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio = 1.615, 95% confidence interval: 1.121-2.327). Two independent non-parametric sample tests showed that patients with a good response to first-line treatment had received further treatment cycles and treatment lines (P = 0.000; P = 0.000).
Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that the response to docetaxel in combination with platinum as a first-line chemotherapy was an independent prognostic factor for patients with NSCLC. In addition, patients with a good response to first-line treatment had received further treatment cycles and treatment lines.
Keywords: Chemotherapy; non-small cell lung cancer; prognosis; response.