Gefitinib: a new agent in palliative care.
In 2003, gefitinib (Iressa, AstraZeneca, London, UK) in 250 mg tablet form received accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration. Gefitinib targets the cancer cell at the molecular level and has the ability to palliate lung cancer symptoms. Gefitinib's ability to control symptoms with minimal toxicity provides physicians with a new option to complement current symptom control methods. It is nonmarrow suppressive and seems to have an ability to control symptoms quickly, even in the absence of obvious tumor reduction. However, further studies are needed to compare gefitinib's ability to control symptoms with intensive palliative modalities for lung cancer, such as opioids, oxygen, and radiation therapy.
Prommer
Eric
E
Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and Veterans Integrated Program, GLA Healthcare, Los Angeles, California, USA.
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000592:standards*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000077156:Gefitinib