Treatment of recurrent and platinum-refractory stage IV non-small cell lung cancer with nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) as a single agent

The role of single-agent nab-paclitaxel in relapsed or platinum-refractory advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been well reported in Western populations. We reviewed our own institution’s experience using nab-paclitaxel in these settings. We analyzed the records of stage IV NSCLC patients with relapsed or platinum-refractory disease treated with single-agent nab-paclitaxel at Weill Cornell Medical College between October 2008 and December 2013. The primary endpoint of the study was treatment failure-free survival (TFFS), defined as the time from the start of nab-paclitaxel therapy to discontinuation of the drug for any reason. The best overall response was recorded for each patient, and overall response and disease control rates were calculated. Thirty-one stage IV NSCLC patients received a median of 4 cycles (range 1–40) of nab-paclitaxel. Dose reduction or drug discontinuation due to toxicity occurred in 10 patients, mainly because of grade 2/3 fatigue or peripheral neuropathy. The overall response rate was 16.1 %, and the disease control rate was 64.5 %. Median TFFS was 3.5 months (95 % CI 1.3–5.3 months). No statistically significant difference in TFFS based on line of therapy or prior taxane exposure was identified. There was a statistically significant decrease in TFFS for patients with non-adenocarcinoma histology, although there were only five patients in this group. There was a trend toward reduction in the risk of treatment failure with increasing age. One patient remained on nab-paclitaxel therapy for over 3 years. Single-agent nab-paclitaxel was well tolerated and demonstrated efficacy in advanced NSCLC patients with relapsed or platinum-refractory disease. Further prospective clinical trials with nab-paclitaxel in these settings are warranted.