title: Novel EGFR Inhibitors in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Current Status of Afatinib.
abstract: Afatinib, a second-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has been approved worldwide as a first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that harbors activating EGFR mutations. Here, we have reviewed the recent clinical developments in the treatment of lung cancer using afatinib. Emerging data have revealed the overall survival benefit of first-line afatinib therapy in patients with advanced EGFRdel19-positive NSCLC. Phase III studies of afatinib have shown the effectiveness of afatinib as a second-line treatment for advanced lung squamous cell carcinoma, as well as the benefit of continuing afatinib therapy in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC after the occurrence of disease progression in patients who are receiving afatinib monotherapy. Therapeutic benefits of afatinib have also been reported in studies of patients with central nervous system metastasis and patients with HER2 mutation. The utility of afatinib-based combination therapies is being investigated in ongoing research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan.|National Taiwan University Cancer Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Bin-Chi
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan.|Department of Urology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7, Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, Taiwan. chihyang@ntu.edu.tw.|National Taiwan University Cancer Center, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. chihyang@ntu.edu.tw.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. chihyang@ntu.edu.tw.|Graduate Institute of Oncology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. chihyang@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: James Chih-Hsin
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000077716:Afatinib; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009154:Mutation; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000077716:Afatinib; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C512478:EGFR protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human
keywords: Afatinib; Central nervous system metastasis; EGFR mutation; HER2 mutation; Non-small cell lung cancer; Squamous cell carcinoma