PURPOSE: When used in the second-line setting, single- agent chemotherapy has produced response rates of more than 10% or median survival times greater than 4 months. We studied the safety and efficacy of using second-line single docetaxel (75 mg/m2) for advanced NSCLC patients who were previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy in Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients with advanced NSCLC received chemotherapy from May 2002 to January 2005. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of these patients. The patients received 75 mg/m2 of doxetaxel on day 1 and this was repeated at 3-week intervals. RESULTS: The median age was 63 years (range: 42~77 years); 16 patients had adenocarcinoma and 8 patients had squamous cell carcinoma. The median number of cycles was 4 (range: 1~7 cycles). Of the 33 patients, 6 patients had partial responses, 13 patients had stable disease and 14 patients had progressive disease. The response rate was 18.2%. The median overall survival was 11 months (range: 7~15 months), and the median progression free survival was 5 months (range: 3~7 months). The median response duration was 5 months (range: 4~9 months). A total of 137 cycles were evaluated for toxicity. We observed grade 3 or 4 neutropenia in 79 cycles (57.6%), grade 3 or 4 leukopenia in 46 cycles (33.6%), and grade 3 febrile neutropenia in 2 cycles (1.5%). The median nadir day was day 9 (range: day 5~19), and the median number of G-CSF injections was 2 (range: 0~6). The most common non-hematologic toxicities were myalgia/arthralgia and neurotoxicity, but any grade 3 or 4 non-hematologic toxicity was not observed. The major toxicity of this therapy was neutropenia. The absolute neutrophil count decreased relatively rapidly, but neutropenic fever or related infection was rare. There were no treatment-related deaths. CONCLUSION: These results revealed a satisfactory response rate (18.2%) with using docetaxel as the second- line chemotherapy for NSCLC. The second-line docetaxel was an active and well-tolerated regimen in patients with advanced NSCLC pretreated with platinum-based chemotherapy.
Adenocarcinoma ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy* ; Febrile Neutropenia ; Fever ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukopenia ; Neutropenia ; Neutrophils ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-inflflammatory effects of Sanguisorbae Radix on contact dermatitis (CD). METHODS: Mice were sensitized by painting 30 µL of 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) onto each ear for 3 days. Four days later, mice were challenged by painting with 50 µL of DNFB onto the shaved dorsum every 2 days. Sanguisorbae Radix methanol extract (MESR) was applied onto the shaved dorsum every 2 days. The effects of MESR on skin thickness, skin weights, histopathological changes, skin lesions and cytokine production in DNFB-induced CD mice were investigated, as well as its effects on body weights and spleen/body weight ratio. RESULTS: Topical application of MESR effectively inhibited enlargement of skin thickness and weight (P<0.05). MESR treatment also inhibited hyperplasia, spongiosis and immune cell infiltration induced by DNFB in inflamed tissues and improved lesions on dorsum skin in CD mice. Moreover, treatment with MESR suppressed the increase in the levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α,P<0.01) and interferon γ (IFN-γ,P<0.05), respectively. Finally, MESR had no effect on body weight gain or spleen/body weight ratio. CONCLUSION These data suggest that MESR acts as an anti-inflflammatory agent that decreases the production of TNF-α and IFN-γ, resulting in reductions of skin lesions and histopathological changes in inflamed skin tissues.