This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Palmer, M. Articles by Kolesar, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Palmer, M. Articles by Kolesar, J. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Clinical pharmacology and determinates of response to gefitinib in non-small cell lung cancer

University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA

Justin Geurink, PharmD Candidate

University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA

Kristine Hahn, PharmD

University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA

Jill Kolesar, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP

University of Wisconsin Madison, WI, USA

Objective. Provide a review and update of gefitinib (Iressa®), including recent data on mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and possible implications in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Data sources. Primary literature and review articles were researched using Pub-Med. Articles through June 2004 were considered for preparation of the review. All clinical trials with published results and articles reporting EGFR mutations were considered for inclusion by the authors.

Conclusions. Gefitinib is a novel EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for treatment of chemo-resistant NSCLC. Response rates of 10-19% have been observed in clinical trials with no improvement when combined with chemotherapy. Currently, gefitinib is used as a single agent for advanced NSCLC that is resistant to chemotherapy. Mutations in EGFR correlating with response to gefitinib have recently been described. Based on these early results, genetic testing of NSCLC patients upon diagnosis could predict response to gefitinib. Early treatment of NSCLC patients positive for EGFR mutations with gefitinib remains to be tested.

Key Words: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) • Iressa (gefitinib) • mutations • non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) • tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Journal of Oncology Pharmacy Practice, Vol. 10, No. 3, 169-175 (2004)
DOI: 10.1191/1078155204jp130oa


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?