title: Adding checkpoint inhibitors to tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting EGFR/ALK in non-small cell lung cancer: a new therapeutic strategy.
abstract: After the massive approval of checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of numerous malignancies and settings, checkpoint inhibitors-based combination therapies are emerging as a new therapeutic modality. Nivolumab and pembrolizumab (anti-PD1 agents) were recently approved as second-line treatment in NSCLC after progression on platinum-doublets. In parallel, targeting EGFR/ALK in NSCLC using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) demonstrated remarkable outcomes and was approved as standard treatment, in patients with EGFR mutation or ALK rearrangement. Combining TKI targeting EGFR/ALK with checkpoint inhibitors seems a promising therapeutic option and is being evaluated in different trials. We aimed in this paper to elucidate the rationale behind this combination, to report the premilinary results of ongoing trials evaluating this association and finally, to discuss briefly the possible future indication of this treatment modality.
authors: Hematology-oncology department, Faculty of medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon.|Medical Oncology department, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors: Samer
authors: S
authors: Tabchi
authors: Hematology-oncology department, Faculty of medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon. hampig.kourie@hotmail.com.|Oncology department, Jules Bordet Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. hampig.kourie@hotmail.com.
authors: Hampig Raphael
authors: HR
authors: Kourie
authors: Hematology-oncology department, Faculty of medicine, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Kattan
mesh_terms: D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C000626173:ALK protein, human; D000077548:Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
keywords: ALK rearrangement; Checkpoint inhibitors; Combination therapies; EGFR mutation; NSCLC; TKI