The efficacy of Kanglaite injection during treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitor in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer ⁎

Abstract

Abstract Objective Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are widely used in the treatment of EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. The Kanglaite injection (KLT) is a novel broad-spectrum anti-cancer injection produced from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs (coix seed). After its approval in 1995, KLT has become the most popular anti-cancer drug in China. As of this writing, no standard treatment guideline is available for elder patients with NSCLC, and the role of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs, including KLT, combined with TKI treatment remains unknown. This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy and safety of KLT in elderly NSCLC patients during TKI treatment. Methods Thirty elderly patients aged 71-79 years with histopathologically confirmed NSCLC attending the General Hospital of the Shenyang Military Region were enrolled in the study and received EGFR-TKI treatment. All participants received 200 mL KLT injections at the same time on days 1-21. Erlotinib (150 mg) or gefitinib (250 mg) was administered daily from days 1 to 21, and the cycle was repeated every 21 days. The endpoint of the primary study was the disease control rate. Results Thirty elderly patients were enrolled in this study. The objective response rate was 21.3% [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.6% to 35.2%], whereas the disease control rate was 80.4% (95% CI: 71.8% to 97.0%). The grade 3 or 4 adverse effects included leucopenia (13.7%), neutropenia (13.4%), anemia (2.9%), and nausea or vomiting (2.7%). Conclusion The administration of KLT combined with erlotinib or gefitinib showed high efficacy in elderly NSCLC patients. The adverse effects of the drug combination were well tolerated by the patients. KLT combined with TKI treatment might provide a satisfactory therapeutic strategy for elderly NSCLC patients.