• Shih-Hao Huang, Allen Chung-Cheng Huang, Chin-Chou Wang, Wen-Chen Chang, Chien-Ying Liu, Stelios Pavlidis, Ho-Wen Ko, Fu-Tsai Chung, Ping-Chih Hsu, Yi-Ke Guo, Chih-Hsi Scott Kuo, and Cheng-Ta Yang.
• Division of Thoracic Oncology, Department of Thoracic Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
• Thorac Cancer. 2019 Dec 1; 10 (12): 2274-2281.

BackgroundApproximately 3%-5% of lung adenocarcinoma is driven by anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) fusion oncogene, whose activity can be suppressed by multiple ALK inhibitors. Crizotinib and ceritinib have demonstrated superior efficacy to platinum-based chemotherapy as front-line treatment for patients with ALK-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the direct comparison between them in the front-line setting remains lacking.MethodsA total of 48 patients with ALK-positive, previously untreated advanced NSCLC, who received crizotinib and ceritinib as front-line treatment were retrospectively investigated. The efficacy and pattern of disease progression were analyzed.ResultsPatients receiving ceritinib treatment were significantly younger than those receiving crizotinib treatment (52.0 vs. 63.0, P = 0.016). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer with ceritinib than with crizotinib treatment (32.3 vs. 12.9 months; log-rank P = 0.020); the hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.27 (95% CI, 0.08-0.90; P = 0.033). An objective response was noted in all patients in the ceritinib group and in 23 patients in the crizotinib group (74.2%; 95% CI, 59.0 to 88.5). The rate of systemic progression was significantly lower over time with ceritinib treatment compared to crizotinib treatment (cause-specific hazard ratio, 0.21; 95% CI 0.06-0.73; P = 0.014). Serious adverse events were noted in one (2.9%) patient showing elevated liver function in the crizotinib group and three (23.1%) patients showing diarrhea in the ceritinib group. Dose reduction was needed in five out of 13 (38.5%) patients receiving ceritinib treatment.ConclusionCeritinib showed higher efficacy associated with a better control of systemic progression compared to crizotinib for the front-line treatment of ALK-positive advanced NSCLCs.© 2019 The Authors. Thoracic Cancer published by China Lung Oncology Group and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

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