Pemetrexed maintenance treatment for non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer after pemetrexed and cisplatin

Pemetrexed is recommended as an option for the maintenance treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer in adults when:

• their disease has not progressed immediately after 4 cycles of pemetrexed and cisplatin induction therapy

• their Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status is 0 or 1 at the start of maintenance treatment and

• the company provides the drug according to the terms of the commercial access agreement as agreed with NHS England.

When using ECOG performance status, healthcare professionals should take into account any physical, sensory or learning disabilities, or communication difficulties that could affect ECOG performance status and make any adjustments they consider appropriate.

This guidance is not intended to affect the position of patients whose treatment with pemetrexed was started within the NHS before this guidance was published. Treatment of those patients may continue without change to whatever funding arrangements were in place for them before this guidance was published until they and their NHS clinician consider it appropriate to stop.