Development of treatment options for Chinese patients with advanced squamous cell lung cancer: focus on afatinib

OncoTargets and Therapy

关键词: squamous cell carcinoma;    NSCLC;    Chinese;    afatinib;    EGFR;    ErbB;    biomarker;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Shun LuShanghai Lung Cancer Center, Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, ChinaAbstract: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in China, and approximately one third of these cancers are squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) of the lung. Ethnic diversity and country-specific environmental factors can account for interindividual variations in response to and tolerability of anticancer therapies. Although several targeted therapies have recently been approved for patients with relapsed/refractory SqCC of the lung, only afatinib, an irreversible ErbB family blocker, has data of Chinese patients. In the Phase III LUX-Lung 8 trial, afatinib demonstrated a significant clinical benefit vs the reversible first-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib in both the overall population and the Chinese subset, with a manageable safety profile. Emerging biomarker data from LUX-Lung 8 suggest that patients with ErbB mutations, especially ErbB2, and those classified as “good” in the VeriStrat® proteomic test, may benefit from afatinib treatment in particular, regardless of ethnicity, and may get a long-term response. In conclusion, afatinib is a valid second-line option for Chinese patients with SqCC of the lung, and specific biomarkers may help guide in treatment decision-making. Ongoing studies will provide further guidance on afatinib’s place in the treatment algorithm, alongside the other novel targeted therapies.Keywords: squamous cell carcinoma, NSCLC, Chinese, afatinib, EGFR, ErbB, biomarker

【 授权许可】

Unknown