Pemetrexed and Best Supportive Care Versus Placebo and Best Supportive Care in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

PFS time was the elapsed time from the date of randomization to the first date of objective progression of disease or death from any cause. PFS was censored at the date of the participant's last tumor assessment for participants who were not known to have died or to have PD as of the data-inclusion cut-off date for analysis. PD, defined using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.0 (RECIST v1.0), was at least a 20% increase in the sum of longest diameter (LD) of target lesions taking as references the smallest sum LD recorded since the treatment started or the appearance of 1 or more new lesions.

OS time was the elapsed time from the date of randomization to the date of death from any cause. OS was censored at the last date of contact for participants who were not known to have died as of the data-inclusion cut-off date for analysis.

TPD was the elapsed time from the date of randomization to the first date of objective PD. TPD was censored at the date of the participant's last tumor assessment for participants who were not known to have PD as of the data-inclusion cut-off date for analysis or who died without objective PD. PD, defined using RECIST v1.0, was at least a 20% increase in the sum of LD of target lesions taking as reference the smallest sum LD recorded since the treatment started or the appearance of 1 or more new lesions.

TWS was the elapsed time from the date of randomization to the first date of worsening [defined as a 15-millimeter (mm) increase from baseline based on a 100-mm scale] of each symptom and summary item in the Lung Cancer Symptom Scale (LCSS). The participant-reported LCSS was a 9-item questionnaire. Six items were symptom-specific measures for lung cancer (loss of appetite, fatigue, cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and pain), and 3 summation items described total symptomatic distress, interference with activity level, and global quality of life. Participant (pt) responses to each item were measured using visual analogue scales (VAS) from 0 (for best outcome) to 100 (for worst outcome). TWS was censored at the date of the last LCSS assessment for pts who were not known to have LCSS worsening.

Response was defined using RECIST v1.0 criteria. CR was defined as the disappearance of all target lesions. PR was defined either A) at least a 30% decrease in the sum of the LD of target lesions taking as reference the baseline sum LDs or B) complete disappearance of target lesions, with persistence (but not worsening) of 1 or more nontarget lesions. In either case, no new lesions may have appeared. The percentage of participants with CR or PR=(Number of participants with CR or PR)/(Number of participants assessed)*100.

Clinically significant events were defined as serious adverse events (SAEs) and other non-serious AEs regardless of causality. A summary of serious and other non-serious AEs, regardless of causality, is located in the Reported Adverse Events module.

The participant-reported LCSS was a 9-item questionnaire. Six items were symptom-specific measures for lung cancer (loss of appetite, fatigue, cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, and pain), and 3 summation items described total symptomatic distress, interference with activity level, and global quality of life. Participant responses to each item were measured using VAS from 0 (for best outcome) to 100 (for worst outcome). The average symptom burden index (ASBI) was the mean of the 6 symptom-specific items. The LCSS total score was the mean of the 9 items.