Abstract
Objective. We evaluated the clinical characteristics of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases with interstitial pneumonia (IP). Methods. We retrospectively studied 37 patients with advanced (stage IIIB or IV) NSCLC with IP, and evaluated the efficacy of medical treatment. Results. A total of 29 patients were treated by chemotherapy, and 8 were treated by best supportive care (BSC). The median survival time (MST) of patients treated by chemotherapy and BSC was 11.9 months and 2.1 months, respectively. The objective response rate of patients who received 1st-line treatment was 44.8%. The MST of patients who received 2nd-line treatment or less was significantly shorter than those who received 3rd-line treatment or more (10.3 months vs. 22.0 months, P=0.0019). However, acute exacerbation developed in 11 patients and there was no significant difference in MST between those with or without acute exacerbation. Conclusion. This study showed that advanced NSCLC patients with IP may benefit from chemotherapy. Multiple chemotherapy regimens provided better survival in the present study.
