In a nutshell
The authors aimed to determine the effect of erlotinib (Tarceva) in delaying treatment change in patients with progressive lung cancers with and without epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations (changes to the cell).
Some background
Erlotinib is a biological therapy (drug used to stimulate or restore the body's immune system) used to treat lung cancer patients who have EGFR mutations. It functions by inhibiting cancer cell growth and division. It is thought that continued treatment with erlotinib is possible and effective past the time of disease progression (growth or spread of disease) in patients without symptoms. This could delay the need for treatments such as chemotherapy, which can lead to many adverse (negative) effects.
Methods & findings
The aim of this study was to determine the benefit of erlotinib in delaying time until treatment change in patients with and without EGFR mutations.
92 patients were used in this study. Group 1 had 42 patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer. Group 2 had 50 patients who did not have EGFR-mutated lung cancer. Each group was treated with erlotinib.
Group 1 experienced a slower rate of disease progression and a longer time until treatment change compared to group 2. 66% of patients in group 1 continued erlotinib treatment after disease progression. 50% of these patients were able to delay a change in treatment for more than 3 months. Patients in group 1 had an average of 3.2 months until treatment change compared to 0.6 months in group 2.
Patients who had a longer time to disease progression, a slower rate of disease progression and no new tumors outside of the lungs experienced a longer time until treatment change.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that erlotinib delayed the time until treatment change in patients with EGFR-mutated lung cancer who experienced disease progression.
Published By :
Cancer
Date :
Mar 23, 2015
