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. 2012 Jan;4(1):19-29.
doi: 10.1177/1758834011427927.

Erlotinib in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: an update for clinicians

Yongsheng Wang  1 , Gerald Schmid-Bindert, Caicun Zhou
Affiliations

Erlotinib in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: an update for clinicians

Yongsheng Wang et al. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2012 Jan.

Abstract

Inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has become an important target in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Erlotinib and gefitinib, two small molecular agents that target the tyrosine kinase domain of the EGFR, were approved in many countries for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC as a second- or third-line regimen. Since then, randomized trials have evaluated the role of these two targeted agents alone or combined with chemotherapy in maintenance and first-line settings. This review summarizes the results of recent clinical trials with these tyrosine kinase inhibitors, with a focus on erlotinib, as first-line treatment towards a form of personalized medicine aimed at improving clinical outcome in advanced NSCLC.

Keywords: clinical trials; erlotinib; first-line; non-small cell lung cancer; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in preparing this article.

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