Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the effects of maintenance therapy using a combination of dentritic cells (DC) /cytokine induced killer cells (CIK cells) and erlotinib on patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods We used data of 56 cases with Stage-Ⅲb or Ⅳ NSCLC, who underwent 4 cycles of platinum-based two-drug chemotherapy and achieved a status of stable disease or much better condition. The patients were randomized into 2 groups, i.e., Group One, which received a biological immunotherapy using a combination of erlotinib and DC/CIK cells, and Group Two, which was given erlotinib therapy alone. The main end point was progression-free survival (PFS), while the adverse reactions comprised the second end point.
Results The PFS of both groups were 5.30 months (95%, CI 5.02-5.58) and 4.42 months (95%, CI 4.20-4.63), respectively, P < 0.05. The untoward reactions of both groups were rashes and diarrhea. In Group One, chest distress was found in 2 cases, acratia in 4, and fever in 3 during DC/CIK infusion.
Conclusion The maintenance treatment, which combines erlotinib with DC/CIK cells is a safe and effective method in treating advanced NSCLC.
下载: