Management of Nonhematologic Toxicities Associated With Different EGFR-TKIs in Advanced NSCLC: A Comparison Analysis

Targeting epidermal growth factor receptor signalling pathway: A promising therapeutic option for COVID-19

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is continuously producing new variants, necessitating effective therapeutics. Patients are not only confronted by the immediate symptoms of infection but also by the long-term health issues linked to long COVID-19. Activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling during SARS-CoV-2 infection promotes virus propagation, mucus hyperproduction, and pulmonary fibrosis, and suppresses the host's antiviral response. Over the long term, EGFR activation in COVID-19, particularly in COVID-19-induced pulmonary fibrosis, may be linked to the development of lung cancer. In this review, we have summarised the significance of EGFR signalling in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also discussed the targeting of EGFR signalling as a promising strategy for COVID-19 treatment and highlighted erlotinib as a superior option among EGFR inhibitors. Erlotinib effectively blocks EGFR and AAK1, thereby preventing SARS-CoV-2 replication, reducing mucus hyperproduction, TNF-α expression, and enhancing the host's antiviral response. Nevertheless, to evaluate the antiviral efficacy of erlotinib, relevant clinical trials involving an appropriate patient population should be designed.

Management of diarrhea induced by EGFR-TKIs in advanced lung adenocarcinoma

The identification of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutations in lung adenocarcinoma has facilitated the development of personalized medicine based on oncogenic drivers. EGFR-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) are part of the targeted therapy; they impede the phosphorylation of the intracellular tyrosine kinase component of EGFR and consequently block signal transduction pathways. These drugs inhibit the proliferation and survival of tumor cells, leading to long-term progression-free survival and overall survival. Diarrhea is one of the most frequent adverse events associated with EGFR-TKIs, affecting at least 18% of patients and reaching up to 95% in some cases. Diarrhea should be managed carefully given its association with important complications, treatment interruptions, and dose reductions. Moreover, nutritional status and quality of life (QoL) can deteriorate due to severe diarrhea. Changes in diet, such as increment of fiber, supplementation with glutamine, and use of probiotics, may contribute to a decrease in the incidence of diarrhea. Improving the control of diarrhea can provide a significant benefit to the QoL of patients.

Global research trends on precision cancer medicine-related rashes (2008-2021): A bibliographic study

Background

Precision cancer medicine-related rashes are a kind of skin and mucous lesions caused by precision therapy. More and more evidences indicated that such events should not be ignored in the course of anti-tumor therapy. Since cancer treatment entered the “Precision Era”, there has been a rapid increase in this field. However, there was few bibliometric studies to provide an overall review of this field. This study aims to evaluate the literature output and trends in researches on precision cancer medicine-related rashes from a global perspective.

Methods

Collected publications on precision cancer medicine-related rashes from the Web of Science Core Collection database, which were limited to articles and reviews in English. Microsoft Excel, VOS viewer and CiteSpace V were used for quantitative and visual analysis.

Results

A total of 1,229 papers were identified. From 2008 to 2021, annual publications increased year by year. The United States published the most papers in this field (44.9%) and ranking first in citation frequency (19,854 times) and H-index (69). The University of Texas system ranks first with 98 papers published. Lacouture M.E and Robert C were the principal investigators. Cancers has the largest number of articles published, with 70 articles. In recent years, there have been research hotspots related to immunotherapy, including ipilimumab, immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment, association, checkpoint inhibitor, and cutaneous adverse event.

Conclusion

Precision cancer medicine-related rashes are a hot research topic in oncology. The number of relevant publications will increase dramatically. “Checkpoint inhibitors”, “skin adverse events”, “associations” and “tumor microenvironment” may become research hotspots in the future.

Topical Zhiyang Pingfu Liquid for Moderate to Severe Skin Rash Associated With EGFRIs: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Skin rash is the most common adverse effect associated with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs). The study has observed the efficacy and safety of Zhiyang Pingfu Liquid in the treatment of EGFRIs-related moderate and severe rash.

METHODS

Patients suffering from EGFRIs-related moderate to severe rash were enrolled and then randomly divided into the treatment group and the control group, receiving Zhiyang Pingfu Liquid and placebo liquid respectively combined with minocycline and methylprednisolone recommended by guideline for 14 days. Changes in rash grades were observed, as well as the dosage of minocycline. Blood routine examination and liver and kidney function were evaluated to observe the safety of Zhiyang Pingfu Liquid. The total response of rash included complete response (CR) and partial response (PR). And the effective rate of rash was the percentage of CR and PR in the total cases.

RESULTS

A total of 54 out of 58 patients finished the study with 27 patients in each group. The effective rates of rash among the treatment group and the control group were 81.48% and 55.56% after 14 days treatment (P = .040). The treatment group had a lower dosage of minocycline compared with the control group. The median total dose of oral minocycline administration was 1000 mg in the treatment group and 1400 mg in the control group.

CONCLUSION

Zhiyang Pingfu Liquid can effectively improve the moderate and severe EGFRIs-induced rash, and reduce the use of minocycline, as well as the side reactions brought by minocycline. However, larger randomized controlled trials are needed to verify these findings.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, the registration number is ChiCTR1800017053.

Efficacy of Prophylactic Traditional Chinese Medicine on Skin Toxicity of Afatinib in EGFR Mutation-Positive Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma: A Single-Center, Prospective, Double-Blinded, Randomized-Controlled Pilot Trial

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of prophylactic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on skin toxicities in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma treated with first-line epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in a randomized-controlled trial (RCT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This pilot study was a prospective, single-center, double-blinded RCT. The study enrolled patients with a new diagnosis of locally advanced and metastatic lung adenocarcinoma harboring EGFR mutations who were treated with first-line afatinib from July 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017. Thirty patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were assigned to the TCM and placebo groups with simple randomization. TCM and placebo were initiated at the same time as afatinib and were administered for 3 months. The survival of each subject was followed until 3 years.

RESULTS

There were 36 patients with newly diagnosed lung adenocarcinoma during the study period. After the exclusion of 6 patients, the remaining 30 patients were assigned to the TCM (n = 14) and placebo (n = 16) groups comprising the intention-to-treat population. The time to first skin toxicity was 22.3 days in the TCM group and 17.6 days in the placebo group (P = .510) in the per-protocol population. The analysis of the present pilot study results determined that the difference in time to first skin toxicity between the 2 groups would reach statistical significance with a sample size of 237 based on a power of 0.8. There were significant differences in certain subscales of quality of life between the TCM and placebo groups; however, there was no significant difference in progression-free survival or overall survival between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Integrative TCM may prolong the time to first skin toxicity in patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma treated with first-line afatinib. Prophylactic TCM could delay skin toxicity of any grade and reduce the incidence of grade 3 skin toxicity. Future large-scale RCTs are warranted to validate these findings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05204758. Registered on 24 Jan 2022.

Assessment of diarrhea as side effect of oral targeted antineoplastic agents in clinical practice

BACKGROUND

Diarrhea is one of the most frequent class adverse events associated with targeted oral antineoplastic agents (OAAs). Our objective was to analyze the incidence, characteristics, and severity of diarrhea in cancer patients in clinical practice.

METHODS

An observational, longitudinal, and prospective study of cancer outpatients treated with targeted OAAs was carried out in a tertiary hospital. Targed OAAs analyzed were anaplastic lymphoma kinase inhibitors, BCR-ABL inhibitors, cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, mTOR inhibitors, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitors. Patients were given a data collection form to record daily the number, severity (CTCAE version 5.0), and characteristics of stools during the first 30 days of treatment with OAAs. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with the incidence of diarrhea.

RESULTS

We analyzed 240 patients, of whom 28.7% experienced diarrhea (25.4% grades 1-2 and 3.3% grades 3-4). Patients treated with EGFR and VEGFR inhibitors had a higher incidence of diarrhea. The multivariate analysis revealed that taking the OAA with food was associated with a lower risk of diarrhea (OR = 0.404 [0.205-0.956], p = 0.038).

CONCLUSIONS

More than a third of patients in treatment with OAAs presented diarrhea (any grade), and 22.1% of stools were semi-liquid/liquid. In multivariate analysis, taking the OAA on an empty stomach was associated with a statistically significant increase in the incidence of diarrhea.

Efficacy of treatment for acneiform eruptions related to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): A protocol of systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Acneiform eruptions from epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors is a frequent adverse event in non-small cell lung cancer patients but the efficacy of its treatment including antibiotics, corticosteroid, sunscreen is still poorly understood.

METHODS

Eight electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, etc) will be searched from inception to April 2020. Risk of bias of randomized controlled trials will be assessed in terms of the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool. Eligible randomized controlled trials will be enrolled for a Bayesian network meta-analysis using R software.

RESULTS

This study is still ongoing and the results will be submitted and published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

CONCLUSION

We hope the results of this study will provide reliable evidence for the management of acneiform due to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors for non-small cell lung cancer.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval is not applicable for this study is based on published trials.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020206724.

A Correlational Study of Skin Toxicity and Quality of Life in Patients With Advanced Lung Cancer Receiving Targeted Therapy

BACKGROUND

Oral targeted therapy is increasingly used worldwide to treat patients with advanced lung cancer. The adverse skin toxicity that is associated with treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors often results in acneiform rash, dry skin (xerosis), pruritus, and paronychia, which may cause discomfort in patients and affect their quality of life.

PURPOSE

This study was designed to explore changes in skin toxicity and quality of life (measured overall by three subscales) as well as the correlation between skin toxicity and overall quality of life over a 3-month period for patients with advanced lung cancer receiving oral targeted therapy.

METHODS

This study used a longitudinal research design. Baseline data were collected before initiating targeted therapy. Data for the effects of targeted therapy on skin toxicity and quality of life were collected at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after therapy initiation. Data on skin toxicity were collected using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events Version 4.03, and quality of life was measured using the Chinese version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitor-18 questionnaire. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to measure the correlation between skin toxicity and quality of life.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients participated in this study. The symptoms of skin toxicity that increased over the 3-month study period included xerosis and paronychia, whereas acneiform rash and pruritus fluctuated during this period. Over the study period, more than 70% of the participants exhibited symptoms of skin toxicity. Skin toxicity was the greatest and quality of life was the lowest, respectively, at the end of the study. All of the symptoms of skin toxicity were significantly correlated with quality of life, although each varied over time (r = .36-.61, p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The results of this study indicate that healthcare providers should consider the impact of skin toxicity on quality of life in patients with advanced lung cancer who are receiving oral targeted therapy. These findings may be used to design interventional measures for skin and medical care to improve quality of life in patients with advanced lung cancer.

Comparison of T790M Acquisition Between Patients Treated with Afatinib and Gefitinib as First-Line Therapy: Retrospective Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Afatinib, a second-generation, irreversible pan-HER inhibitor, shows better suppression of T790M-positive lung cancer cells than gefitinib in preclinical studies. However, whether the effect of afatinib on T790M acquisition differs from that of gefitinib when used clinically as first-line therapy remains unclear. To reaffirm the preclinical efficacy of afatinib on T790M-positive lung cancer cells, H1975 cells and established PC-9 cells resistant to gefitinib and erlotinib by T790M were used. In total, 398 patients with second biopsy at progression with stage IIIB/IV non–small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutation, treated with afatinib or gefitinib as first-line therapy, were retrospectively reviewed. Propensity score matching was used to balance covariates. Afatinib inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells with low T790M allele frequencies, which are resistant to gefitinib, but not those with high T790M allele frequencies. Afatinib and gefitinib showed similar efficacy in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) (11.5 vs 13.4 months, P = .08) and overall survival (OS) (29.3 vs 28.5 months, P = .76). T790M patients had better PFS and OS than those without T790M. There was no significant difference in the cumulative T790M acquisition ratio over time between afatinib and gefitinib (48.8% vs 59.3%, P = .317). The median time to acquire T790M was 12.9 months for afatinib and 15.7 months for gefitinib (P = .342). Although afatinib inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells with low T790M allele frequencies in preclinical studies, this could not be translated into clinical efficacy in terms of lowering the rate or delaying the time of T790M acquisition.

[EGFR-TKI ADR Management Chinese Expert Consensus]

ErbB receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI), gefitinib, erlotinib, icotinib and aftinib, which are approved as a frontline treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have tumors harboring EGFR mutations in China. And osimertinib was approved in second line setting for patients with EGFRT 790M-positive NSCLC. Rash, paronychia, diarrhea, stomatitis, liver dysfunction and (interstitial lung disease, ILD) are frequently observed in patients treated with EGFR-TKI. Chinese Society of Lung Cancer, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, organized Chinese experts to develop the Chinese expert consensus on EGFR-TKI adverse event (AE) management based on domestic diagnosis and treatment of ADR and also incorporating international updated theory and recommendations.
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Multi-disciplinary proactive follow-up algorithm for patients with advanced NSCLC receiving afatinib

PURPOSE

Afatinib is a standard first-line therapy for advanced EGFR-positive NSCLC. We implemented a pharmacist-led proactive follow-up algorithm to identify and manage early afatinib-related adverse events (AEs).

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients treated with afatinib after implementation of the algorithm at the Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Centre (Toronto, ON, Canada) from April 1, 2015 to July 31, 2016. Our in-house algorithm involved consultations in person and proactive pharmacist-led callbacks on days 5, 10, and 17. All AEs were graded and documented in real time and management based on toxicity grade was standardized. This study evaluated the impact of our algorithm on real-world AEs.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Thirty-three patients were identified and reviewed. Median follow-up was 248 days. All patients experienced at least one drug-related AE; 18.2% were grade 3/4. The most common AEs were diarrhea 87.9%, rash 81.8%, stomatitis 57.6%, and paronychia 45.5%. Median dose of afatinib was 40 mg daily; 51.5% of patients had ≥ 1 dose reduction and 6.3% discontinued afatinib due to AEs. Proactive calls by the pharmacist identified 36.5% of all drug-related AEs, 33.3% of grade 3/4 AEs, 58.1% of first drug-related AEs and identified two patients that were non-compliant. Only 3.2% of AEs were identified by an emergency room/urgent clinic visit.

CONCLUSIONS

This proactive multi-disciplinary AE management algorithm resulted in a low rate of urgent assessments and discontinuation due to toxicity while maintaining afatinib at ideal dose, thus providing a useful tool for centers prescribing afatinib.

Gefitinib provides similar effectiveness and improved safety than erlotinib for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib are effective for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This meta-analysis compared their effectiveness and safety.

METHODS

We searched systematically in PubMed, ScienceDirect, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for relevant clinical trials regarding gefitinib versus erlotinib for NSCLC. Antitumor effectiveness (overall survival [OS], progression-free survival [PFS], objective response rate [ORR] and disease control rate [DCR]) and adverse effects [AEs]) were assessed.

RESULTS

Forty studies comprising 9376 participants were included. The results suggested that gefitinib and erlotinib are effective for advanced NSCLC with comparable PFS (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.98-1.11, P = .15), OS (95% CI: 0.93-1.19, P = .45), ORR (95% CI: 0.99-1.16, P = .07), and DCR (95% CI: 0.92-1.03, P = .35). For erlotinib, dose reduction was significantly more frequent (95% CI: 0.10-0.57, P = .001) as were grade 3 to 5 AEs (95% CI: 0.36-0.79, P = .002). In the subgroup analysis, the erlotinib group had a significant higher rate and severity of skin rash, nausea/vomiting, fatigue, and stomatitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Gefitinib was proven to be the better choice for advanced NSCLC, with equal antitumor effectiveness and fewer AEs compared with erlotinib. Further large-scale, well-designed randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm our validation.

Dynamic changes in quality of life after three first-line therapies for EGFR mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

Background

Three different tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been approved as first-line therapies for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive advanced non-small-cell lung cancer with similar overall survival. This study determined dynamic changes in quality of life (QoL) for patients using these therapies after controlling for potential confounders.

Methods

From 2011 to 2016, we prospectively assessed the utility values and QoL scores of patients using the EuroQol five-dimension and World Health Organization Quality-of-Life - Brief questionnaires. QoL functions after initiation of treatment were estimated using a kernel-smoothing method. Dynamic changes in major determinants were repeatedly assessed for constructing mixed models.

Results

A total of 344 patients were enrolled, with 934 repeated assessments. After controlling for performance status, disease progression, EGFR mutation subtype and other confounders, the mixed models showed significantly lower QoL scores for afatinib versus gefitinib in the physical, psychological and social domains, and 10 facets. The differences seemed to appear 10 months after initiation of treatment. In contrast, there was no significant difference between erlotinib and gefitinib in the scores of all domains and facets.

Conclusion

QoL in patients receiving afatinib seemed to be lower than in those receiving gefitinib. Since the sample sizes in this study were relatively small, more studies are warranted to corroborate these results.

Randomised Phase 2 study of maintenance linsitinib (OSI-906) in combination with erlotinib compared with placebo plus erlotinib after platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer

Background:

Maintenance therapy is important in advanced/metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Erlotinib as switch maintenance following platinum-based chemotherapy increases survival. Cross-talk between the epidermal growth factor receptor and insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGFR) pathways mediate resistance to individual receptor blockade. This study compared maintenance linsitinib plus erlotinib vs erlotinib plus placebo in patients with NSCLC.

Methods:

In this Phase II randomised trial, patients without progression following four cycles of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy (N=205) received continuous schedule maintenance oral linsitinib 150 mg or placebo BID combined with erlotinib 150 mg QD for 21-day cycles. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

Results:

The study was unblinded early due to linsitinib non-superiority. No difference was found between the two treatment groups in median PFS of 125 days linsitinib vs 129 days placebo (P=0.601); no difference in overall survival (OS) was observed. Tolerability was similar, although in the linsitinib group, treatment-related adverse events and discontinuations were more frequent. No drug–drug interaction was implicated.

Conclusions:

Linsitinib maintenance therapy added to erlotinib did not improve PFS or OS in non-progressing NSCLC patients. This highlights the need for robust biomarkers of response for combinations that incorporate IGFR-targeted therapies in maintenance or other therapeutic settings.

Comparison of gefitinib, erlotinib and afatinib in non-small cell lung cancer: A meta-analysis

Gefitinib, erlotinib and afatinib are three widely used epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs) for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with proven efficacy. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize existing studies with direct comparisons of EGFR TKIs in NSCLC in terms of both efficacy and safety. Eight randomized trials and 82 cohort studies with a total of 17,621 patients were included for analysis. Gefitinib and erlotinib demonstrated comparable effects on progression-free survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95 to 1.04), overall survival (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.06), overall response rate (risk ratio [RR], 1.05; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.11), and disease control rate (RR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.01), which did not vary considerably with EGFR mutation status, ethnicity, line of treatment, and baseline brain metastasis status. Gefitinib was associated with more grade 3/4 liver dysfunction, but tended to cause lower rates of dose reduction, treatment discontinuation, total grade 3/4 adverse events (RR, 0.78; 95% CI 0.65 to 0.94), and a number of specific adverse events such as rash and diarrhea. No solid evidence was found that afatinib had greater efficacy than gefitinib or erlotinib in first-line treatment of EGFR-mutant NSCLC. However, afatinib was more effective than erlotinib as second-line treatment of patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma. The grade 3/4 adverse events rate of afatinib was comparable to that of erlotinib but higher than that of gefitinib.

Antibiotic prophylaxis for skin toxicity induced by antiepidermal growth factor receptor agents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Topical and systemic prophylactic measures, which are administered before the development of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-related acneiform rash, are appropriate interventions to mitigate the intensity of skin toxicity. We have performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate whether prophylactic antibiotics may reduce the occurrence and severity of anti-EGFR drug-related skin rashes. A systematic review was performed by searching Medline, Scopus, Embase, CINAHL, LILACS, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library from inception until March 2016 for publications regarding the pre-emptive role of antibiotics for EGFR-induced skin rashes. Fixed- or random-effects meta-analyses, according to heterogeneity, were used to summarize odds ratios of skin toxicity with antibiotic use. Of the 827 citations found in the search, 13 studies comprising 1073 patients were included in the analysis. In 12 studies, patients in the prophylactic antibiotic arms had a lower risk of developing a skin rash (odds ratio 0·53, 95% confidence interval 0·39-0·72, P < 0·01) than patients without antibiotic prophylaxis. In particular, moderate-to-severe toxicities (grades 2-4) were reduced by nearly two-thirds (odds ratio 0·36, 95% confidence interval 0·22-0·60, P < 0·01) in 13 studies. This translated to a 26% absolute difference of high-grade skin rash compared with the control arms (from 50% to 24%). The results of this meta-analysis show that the risk of skin rash after treatment with anti-EGFR agents for solid tumours was significantly lower in patients taking prophylaxis with antibiotics than in those who were not. Therefore, taking pre-emptive tetracyclines for several weeks at the start of anti-EGFR treatment can significantly reduce the incidence and severity of cutaneous acneiform rash.

Development of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors against EGFR T790M. Mutation in non small-cell lung carcinoma

Individualized therapies targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations show promises for the treatment of non small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). However, disease progression almost invariably occurs 1 year after tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment. The most prominent mechanism of acquired resistance involves the secondary EGFR mutation, namely EGFR T790M, which accounts for 50%-60% of resistant tumors. A large amount of studies have focused on the development of effective strategies to treat TKI-resistant EGFR T790M mutation in lung tumors. Novel generations of EGFR inhibitors are producing encouraging results in patients with acquired resistance against EGFR T790M mutation. This review will summarize the novel inhibitors, which might overcome resistance against EGFR T790M mutation.

Erlotinib-associated rash in patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer treated in the EURTAC trial

AIM

This analysis investigates incidence and time course of rash in the EURTAC study.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Patients with EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer were randomized 1:1 to receive once daily erlotinib or 3-weekly cycles of chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Of the 86 erlotinib-treated patients, 71 reported rash. Median time to first rash appearance was 0.7 months. Most patients (n = 65) had the same or lower grade rash at final assessment compared with initial assessment. Of the 21 patients with decreased rash grade between initial and final assessments, 61.9% received no erlotinib dose modification, 42.8% had no concomitant rash treatment.

CONCLUSION

Most rash cases were mild, occurred within 1 month of erlotinib treatment, and rapidly improved without the need for erlotinib dose alterations.

Afatinib: An overview of its clinical development in non-small-cell lung cancer and other tumors

Afatinib is an oral, irreversible, tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of EGFR, HER2 and HER4. According to phase I studies, the recommended dose of afatinib was 50mg daily. Rash, acne, diarrhea and stomatitis were the most common adverse events. Afatinib failed to demonstrate an improvement in overall survival in unselected heavily pretreated NSCLC patients (Lux-Lung-1). On the contrary, the Lux-Lung-3 and -6 trials met the primary end point, demonstrating a significant increase in terms of PFS with afatinib compared with chemotherapy in the first line treatment of EGFR mutant patients. Moreover, in both studies, afatinib improved overall survival in patients with exon 19 EGFR deletion (31.7 vs 20.7 months; HR: 0.59, p=0.0001). The results of ongoing randomized trials should further clarify the efficacy of afatinib compared with first-generation TKIs in advanced NSCLC, its activity in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings, as well as its efficacy in other tumors.

Gefitinib-induced intestinal obstruction in advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma: A case report

Gefitinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor, which is used to treat patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR mutations. Dermatological reactions are the most common adverse events associated with gefitinib treatment; other adverse effects, including diarrhea, nausea, stomatitis and an asymptomatic elevation of liver enzymes have also been reported. The present study describes a patient with intestinal obstruction who was successfully undergoing treatment with gefitinib for primary and metastatic neoplasms. Gefitinib-induced intestinal obstruction has not been previously reported; therefore, careful monitoring of gastrointestinal symptoms should be conducted throughout the course of gefitinib-treated malignancies.