Second- and Third-line Treatment of Patients With Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer With Erlotinib in the Community Setting: Retrospective Study of Patient Healthcare Utilization and Symptom Burden

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to describe treatment use patterns and outcomes with single-agent erlotinib among patients with advanced Non–Small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the community oncology setting.Patients and MethodsRetrospective chart review identified patients treated with single-agent erlotinib as either second- or third-line herapy from 4 community oncology clinics. Medical records were extracted for medical outcomes and resource utilization. Patients reported outcome measures of symptom burden and functioning.ResultsA total of 45 patients with stage IIIB/IV disease in second- (n = 27) or third-line (n = 18) therapy were 44% female and 84% white (16% black), with mean age of 66.7 years (SD, 9.2). Over 93% of the patients had previous platinum-based chemotherapy. Patients were treated with erlotinib for an average of 24 weeks. Dose reductions (24%) and treatment delays (29%) were due to skin reactions, diarrhea, and fatigue. The most common reasons for stopping erlotinib therapy were disease progression (53%), death (22%), and toxicities (11%). Patients' physical functioning improved during the first 3 months of erlotinib therapy. Hospitalizations (22%) were not due to erlotinib complications, and unplanned medical visits to the clinics were rare.ConclusionData from this community sample were generally in agreement with the major clinical trial of erlotinib. Erlotinib is well tolerated by second- and third-line patients with advanced NSCLC in the community setting.