Title: Lack of response to erlotinib after progression on gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer.
Abstract: The authors of “Lack of response to erlotinib after progression on gefitinib in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer” (Lung Cancer 2005;50:417–18) state that their limited experience of five patients suggest that erlotinib is not effective in patients progressing on gefitinib. It should be noted, however, that four (all females) of the five previously did respond to gefitinib, and for 10–40 months (cases 1 and 3–5). Two (cases 3 and 5) of the four may have had an activating EGFR mutation since both were non-smoking females, with one (case 3) responding for 40 months. As the authors point out, these two may have ceased responding because of the development of a resistance mutation and would, therefore, not be expected to respond to erlotinib [ [1] Kobayashi S. Boggon T.J. Dayaram T. et al. EGFR mutation and resistance of non-small-cell lung cancer to gefitinib. N Engl J Med. 2005; 352: 786-792 Crossref PubMed Scopus (3406) Google Scholar ]. The other two females (cases 1 and 4) were smokers but it is not known how much or for how long, a question now felt to be of some importance [ [2] Riely G.J. Pao W. Miller V.A. Selection of patients for epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Lung cancer: principles and practice, vol. 5, No. 1. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, New York, NY2005 Google Scholar ]. These two cases also may therefore have had sensitive, then, resistance mutations. The one non-responder to both gefitinib and erlotinib was male but, since a non-smoker, may also have had a mutation.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-06-01
Language: en
Type: letter
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 2
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