Table 1. Major clinical and biological factors of the study population.
| n (%) | |
|---|---|
| Age <70/⩾70 years | 38 (74.5)/13(25.5) |
| Gender women/men | 16 (31.4)/35 (68.6) |
| Performance status 0–1/⩾2 (ECOG) | 37 (72.5)/14 (27.5) |
| >5% weight loss | 11 (21.6) |
| Histology | |
| Squamous cell carcinoma | 15 (29.4) |
| Adenocarcinoma | 24 (47.1) |
| Large-cell carcinoma | 12 (23.5) |
| Stagea IIIB/V | 13 (25.5)/38 (74.5) |
| Chemotherapy regimens before gefitinib | |
| 2 | 30 (58.8) |
| 3 | 15 (29.4) |
| ⩾4 | 6 (11.8) |
| Leucocytes (G l−1) <10.5/⩾10.5 | 42 (82.4)/9 (17.6) |
| LDH (IU l−1) <500/⩾500 | 37 (72.5)/14 (27.5) |
| Calcium level (mmol l−1) <2.75/⩾2.75 | 48 (94.1)/3 (5.9) |
| Hepatic enzymes level (UI l−1) <2 × ULN/⩾2 × ULN | 46 (90.2)/5 (9.8) |
| CYFRA 21-1 level (ng ml−1) <3.5/⩾3.5 | 38 (74.5)/13 (25.5) |
a
UICC classification; LDH=lactate dehydrogenase; ULN=upper limit of the normal range; ECOG=Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group.