Evaluation of Natriuretic Peptide in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated with Bevacizumab Together with Carboplatin-Paclitaxel: A Prospective Study

Aim: To identify predictive markers for efficacy of combination bevacizumab and carboplatin-paclitaxel treatment in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Twenty patients received carboplatin (area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) 6 mg/ml×min) and paclitaxel (200 mg/m) with bevacizumab (15 mg/kg) on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. After four cycles of induction therapy, patients received bevacizumab maintenance therapy until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurred. Plasma and serum samples (baseline, day 8 and before cycle 2) were analyzed for natriuretic peptide content.

Results: Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were significantly decreased at day 8 (20.1±4.0 pg/ml vs. 9.1±1.8 pg/ml, p=0.0002). Patients whose plasma BNP level was reduced to <50% of the baseline at day 8 had a longer progression-free survival (PFS) than those with a less decrease (9.73 versus 2.63 months, p=0.00013). In multivariate Cox analysis, decrease of plasma BNP concentration was associated with a longer PFS (p=0.0022).

Conclusion: Decrease of plasma BNP concentration correlated with PFS after a treatment of combination bevacizumab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel.