A major step towards individualized therapy of lung cancer with gefitinib: the IPASS trial and beyond.
Most patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) present with advanced disease and have poor long-term prognosis. Gefitinib, a targeted therapy that prevents ATP binding in the tyrosine kinase domain of the EGF receptor, has been subject to comprehensive clinical development. A Phase III trial has demonstrated that gefitinib is superior to carboplatin/paclitaxel in terms of progression-free survival and objective response rate, as first-line treatment for pulmonary adenocarcinoma among never-smokers or former light smokers in East Asia (the IRESSA Pan-Asia Study), with the presence of an EGFR mutation being a strong predictor of the effect of gefitinib compared with carboplatin/paclitaxel. In this article, these results are discussed in the context of other recently reported studies of EGFR mutation-positive patients in both Asian and non-Asian countries. Furthermore, the clinical implications and future challenges for gefitinib are highlighted.
Reck
Martin
M
Department of Thoracic Oncology, Hospital Grosshansdorf, Grosshansdorf, Germany. dr.martin.reck@web.de
D001208:Asia; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D057285:Precision Medicine; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000077156:Gefitinib