Pemetrexed or Docetaxel With or Without Erlotinib in Stage IIIB or Stage IV Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2015-07-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
RATIONALE: Pemetrexed disodium and erlotinib hydrochloride may stop the growth of tumor cells
by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as
docetaxel, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the
cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known whether giving pemetrexed
disodium or docetaxel together with erlotinib hydrochloride is more effective than giving
pemetrexed disodium or docetaxel alone in treating non-small lung cancer.
PURPOSE: This randomized phase II trial is studying how well giving pemetrexed disodium or
docetaxel together with or without erlotinib hydrochloride works in treating patients with
stage IIIB or stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.