BMC Cancer 2009, 9:130 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2407/9/130 gations, it was assumed that they had been a non-attendee and they were excluded from the data set. Results A total of 199 patients with advanced NSCLC were regis- tered in the Sydney Cancer Centre data base between Octo- ber 2001 and December 2002. Prospective questionnaires were obtained for 100 patients and data from retrospective chart review for an additional 85 patients. There were a fur- ther 14 patients who were registered but for whom no evi- dence could be found of their attending Sydney Cancer Centre or of having investigations during this period. Patient characteristics are shown in table 1. The median age of the entire cohort was 68 years (age range 32–88 years) with 77% males and 23% females. Sixty-six patients (36%) had Stage IIIB disease, and 119 (64%) had stage IV disease. The most common histological diagnoses were: large cell 78 (42%), adenocarcinoma 67 (36%) and squa- mous cell carcinoma 23 (12%). Using the combined prospective and retrospective data set 64/185 (34%) patients were eligible for E1594, 53 (28%) for SWOG 9509 and 52 (28%) for TAX326: this included 3 patients for whom there were inadequate data to deter- mine eligibility. (Table 2) Many patients were ineligible on more than one criterion. In the E1594 study 71 (38%) patients, and in the SWOG 9509 study 75 (40.5%), were ineligible on at least two criteria. (Table 3). The major reasons for ineligibility are outlined in Table 4. Seventy two (39%) were ineligible for all three trials due to a performance status of 2 or worse. This included 39 patients who were ECOG performance status 2; of whom only 15/39 (38%) met all other eligibility criteria for SWOG 9509 or TAX326. Seventy-five patients (40.5%) would have been excluded from SWOG 9509 and TAX326 for co-morbidities, most commonly severe or uncontrolled cardiac or pulmonary disease. The E1594 study has more liberal inclusion crite- Prospective Data n = 100 (%) Retrospective Data n = 85 (%) Total Cohort n = 185 (%) Table 1: Patient Characteristics Patient Characteristics Sex: Males Females Median age (years) Mean age Staging: Stage IIIB (effusion) Stage IV Histological Subtype: Large cell carcinoma Adenocarcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma Bronchoalveolar Undifferentiated carcinoma Mixed Not available Measurable disease Evaluable disease Non-measurable disease ECOG Performance Status: ECOG 0 ECOG 1 ECOG 2 ECOG 3 & 4 Not available Estimated life expectancy: <12 weeks >12 weeks Not available Weight loss > 10% in 6 weeks Weight loss Not available Incapable of giving informed consent * retrospective patients were added to the Medical Oncology department referral base # Blood abnormalities leading to exclusion from SWOG lung trial 75 (75%) 25 (25%) 66(32–88) 66 37 (37%) 63 (63%) 50 (50%) 36 (36%) 10 (10%) 2 (2%) 2 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 88 (88%) 4 (4%) 8 (8%) 28 (28%) 35 (35%) 23 (23%) 14 (14%) 0 (0%) 34 (34%) 66 (66%) 0 (0%) 26 (26%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) 68 (80%) 17 (20%) 68 (45–84) 67 29 (34%) 56 (66%) 28 (33%) 31 (36%) 13 (15%) 4 (5%) 4 (5%) 2 (2%) 3 (3.5%) 82 (96%) 2 (2%) 1 (1%) 17 (20%) 26 (30.5%) 15 (18%) 20 (23%) 7 (8%) 20 (23.5%) 58 (68%) 7 (8%) 26 (30.5%) 10 (12%) 3 (3.5%) 143 (77%) 42 (23%) 68 (32–88) 67 66 (36%) 119 (64%) 78 (42%) 67 (36%) 23 (12%) 6 (3%) 6 (3%) 2 (1%) 3 (2%) 170 (92%) 6 (3%) 9 (5%) 45 (24%) 61 (33%) 38 (20.5%) 34 (19%) 7 (4%) 54 (29%) 124 (67%) 7 (4%) 52 (28%) 10 (5%) 4 (2%) Page 3 of 6 (page number not for citation purposes)