The correlation between skin rash and the effi cacy of erlotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Background and purpose:Erlotinib is a kind of targeted treatment drugs for non-small cell lung cancer.Skin rash is the major adverse effect of erlotinib.The aim of this study was to explore the relation of skin rash to the effi cacy of erlotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.Methods:Patients with non-small cell lung cancer who had been previously treated with at least one course of platinum based chemotherapy received 150 mg oral doses of erlotinib once daily until disease progression.Response rate,progression free survival and overall survival were analyzed in the different severity skin rash group.Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the survival rate.Results:The response rate was 0,22.2% and 88.8% in the grade 0,1-2 and 3 skin rash groups(P0.001).The median time of occurrence of skin rash was 7 and 21 days in the grade 1-2 and 3 skin rash groups,respectively.The median progression-free survival was 2,4 and 10 months,respectively(P=0.052).The median overall survival was 5,6 and 23 months,respectively(P=0.164).The median progression-free survival was 3 and 10 months in the grade 0-2 and 3 skin rash groups(P=0.036).The median overall survival was 6 and 23 months,respectively(P=0.073).Conclusion:Skin rash bears relation to the response rate of erlotinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.Progression-free survival is better in the grade 3 skin rash group than other groups.