5 to 13.7 months [31]. Similar results were obtained in the IFCT-GFPC trial (for which only

PFS data are available), where the benefit for erlotinib maintenance was also confined to adenocarcinoma patients [21]. Conversely, in the ATLAS trial the benefit in OS gained from the addition of erlotinib to bevacizumab is very limited in both the adenocarcinoma and non-adenocarcinoma groups of patients (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.74-1.12 and HR 0.98, 95% CI 0.64-1.49, respectively) [32]. Overall, in patients with non-squamous selleck histology pemetrexed maintenance appears to provide the greatest benefit in terms of both PFS (HR 0.44) and OS (HR 0.70). Erlotinib also represents a reasonable choice (HR 0.60 and 0.79 for PFS and OS respectively) and may possibly be preferable in selected JNK-IN-8 subgroups, such as females (HR 0.64 for erlotinib

vs. HR 0.83 for pemetrexed) and east Asians patients (HR 0.66 for erlotinib vs. HR 1.05 for pemetrexed). An improvement in PFS was obtained with either erlotinib in patients with squamous AC220 mouse histology in the SATURN trial filipin (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.60-0.95) or gemcitabine in patients with non-adenocarcinoma histology in the IFCT-GFPC trial (HR 0.56,

95% CI 0.37-0.85)[21, 32]. Many other phase II and III trials are currently ongoing looking at maintenance therapy in NSCLC (Tables 3 and 4) [35, 39, 44, 45]. Modulating the immune response in lung cancer is a strategy that is being actively investigated also in maintenance approach. The L-BLP25 (Stimuvax; Biomira Alberta, CA) is a liposome vaccine targeted to the extracellular core peptide of mucine 1 (MUC 1), a transmembrane protein expressed on epithelial cells. In a phase IIb trial, patients in stage III NSCLC, who had disease control after induction therapy, were randomized to receive vaccination weekly for 8 weeks and then they had the option to proceed to maintenance therapy, consisting in vaccination every 6 weeks or BSC. The median OS (primary endpoint) was 17.4 months for the vaccinated patients versus 13.0 months for those on BSC arm (p = 0.66)[46].