Current opinion in oncology
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Targeted molecular therapy is playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have demonstrated efficacy in the advanced disease setting. Preliminary findings suggest that EGFR-TKIs may also be beneficial as adjuvant therapy following complete resection in patients with EGFR-mutation-positive early-stage I-III NSCLC; however, many questions remain unanswered. ⋯ There are no data to support the use of adjuvant EGFR-TKIs in unselected early-stage NSCLC. Although EGFR-TKIs hold promise as adjuvant therapy in patients whose tumors harbor EGFR mutations, in the absence of definitive data confirming an OS benefit eligible patients should continue to receive adjuvant chemotherapy following complete resection.
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The first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), gefitinib and erlotinib, are effective as first-line treatment of advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring activating EGFR mutations (deletions in exon 19 and exon 21 L858R mutation). EGFR T790 M resistance mutation (EGFR T790 M) ultimately emerged in most of these patients. The second and third-generation EGFR-TKIs were designed to have more potent inhibition of EGFR and to overcome EGFR T790 M. This review describes the recent developments of these novel EGFR-TKIs. ⋯ Second-generation EGFR-TKI, afatinib, is available as first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC harboring activating EGFR mutations. Third-generation EGFR-TKIs are under development for tumors harboring acquired EGFR T790 M.