Abstract

TO STUDY THE TREATMENT PATTERN, OUTCOME AND ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS OF ANTICANCER DRUGS IN LUNG CANCER PATIENTS IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL

Sindhuja Koneru*, Dr. Unnikrishnan M.K. and Dr. Girish Thunga P.

ABSTRACT

Background: Lung cancer is an important cause of cancer related deaths worldwide. There are few reports available from southern India on treatment pattern and outcome for lung cancer. Objective: To study the treatment pattern, outcome and adverse drug reactions of anticancer drugs in lung cancer patients in tertiary care hospital. Materials and methods: Data of all patients who diagnosed with Lung cancer between the years of January 2012 to December 2013 were collected. Only patients who received at least two cycles of chemotherapy were eligible for assessment of outcome parameters. Results: During the study period 298 patients were enrolled. The mean age of the study population was found to be 58.93 ± 10.17 years. The gender ratio in our study was showed a male preponderance at 4:1. The prevalence of lung cancer was more common in male patients when compare to females. 112 patients were eligible for the evaluation of outcome. The median PFS, OS were found to be 8 ± 1.45 months, 10± 1.74 months respectively. Patients who were treated with palliative chemotherapy (second generation platinum doublet) showed more survival (21.63±4.3 months) when compare to patients treated with only induction chemotherapy or maintenance chemotherapy. In Kaplan Meier survival analysis the variable like palliative chemotherapy, maintenance chemotherapy, response after maintenance chemotherapy, metastasis, laboratory parameters like haemoglobin (12.3mg/dl before chemo and 11.1mg/dl after chemotherapy) were showing significance with OS and PFS. On multivariate analysis, only second generation platinum doublets as palliative chemotherapy (p= 0.036) was significant. 51.8% of the lung cancer patients who were received chemotherapy developed adverse drug reactions. Anemia (25.4%) was the commonest ADR and Carboplatin was the most common drug which caused adverse drug reactions in Lung cancer patients. Conclusions: Patients who were treated with second generation platinum doublets as palliative chemotherapy had highest survival rate. Anemia was the commonest ADRs reported.

Keywords: Lung cancer, chemotherapy, survival analysis, adverse drug reactions.