Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that both gefitinib and erlotinib are markedly effective for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with somatic activating mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR-mt). These agents are considered to act on EGFR through the same mechanism. However, the efficacy of these agents against EGFR wild-type (-wt) NSCLC remains unclear, and the frequency of adverse events (AEs) appears to differ between them at each approved dose. Here, we conducted a retrospective analysis of AEs and drug efficacy in patients with NSCLC whose EGFR mutation status had been confirmed and who all received 250 mg gefitinib or 150 mg erlotinib once daily. The erlotinib group (n = 35) had more AEs, including rash, fatigue, stomatitis, anorexia and constipation. On the other hand, liver dysfunction and nail change were more frequent in the gefitinib group (n = 107). AEs of ≥grade 2, including rash, fatigue and nausea, were more frequent in the erlotinib group. The erlotinib group also showed more of a tendency to require dose reduction due to AEs. With regard to treatment efficacy for patients with EGFR-wt, there was no significant difference in progression-free survival between the two drug groups. However, this study has several limitations as of the nature of retrospective design; our data suggest that gefitinib and erlotinib might have almost equal efficacy for patients with EGFR-wt NSCLC, as is the case for patients with EGFR-mt tumors, although erlotinib appears to have higher toxicity than gefitinib at each approved dose.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Paez JG, Janne PA, Lee JC, et al. EGFR mutations in lung cancer: correlation with clinical response to gefitinib therapy. Science. 2004;304:1497–500.
Lynch TJ, Bell DW, Sordella R, et al. Activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor underlying responsiveness of non-small-cell lung cancer to gefitinib. N Engl J Med. 2004;350:2129–39.
Maemondo M, Inoue A, Kobayashi K, et al. Gefitinib or chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer with mutated EGFR. N Engl J Med. 2010;362:2380–8.
Mitsudomi T, Morita S, Yatabe Y, et al. Gefitinib versus cisplatin plus docetaxel in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer harbouring mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (WJTOG3405): an open label, randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2010;11:121–8.
Zhou C, Wu YL, Chen G, et al. Erlotinib versus chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (OPTIMAL, CTONG-0802): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 study. Lancet Oncol. 2011;12:735–42.
Rosell R, Carcereny E, Gervais R, et al. Erlotinib versus standard chemotherapy as first-line treatment for European patients with advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (EURTAC): a multicentre, open-label, randomised phase 3 trial. Lancet Oncol. 2012;13:239–46.
Mok TS, Wu YL, Thongprasert S, et al. Gefitinib or carboplatin-paclitaxel in pulmonary adenocarcinoma. N Engl J Med. 2009;361:947–57.
Shepherd FA, Rodrigues Pereira J, Ciuleanu T, et al. Erlotinib in previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:123–32.
Thatcher N, Chang A, Parikh P, et al. Gefitinib plus best supportive care in previously treated patients with refractory advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: results from a randomised, placebo-controlled, multicentre study (Iressa Survival Evaluation in Lung Cancer). Lancet. 2005;366:1527–37.
Nagai Y, Miyazawa H, Huqun, et al. Genetic heterogeneity of the epidermal growth factor receptor in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines revealed by a rapid and sensitive detection system, the peptide nucleic acid-locked nucleic acid PCR clamp. Cancer Res. 2005;65:7276–82.
Kosaka T, Yatabe Y, Endoh H, et al. Mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene in lung cancer: biological and clinical implications. Cancer Res. 2004;64:8919–23.
Li J, Karlsson MO, Brahmer J, et al. CYP3A phenotyping approach to predict systemic exposure to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2006;98:1714–23.
Tan AR, Yang X, Hewitt SM, et al. Evaluation of biologic end points and pharmacokinetics in patients with metastatic breast cancer after treatment with erlotinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22:3080–90.
Yeo WL, Riely GJ, Yeap BY, et al. Erlotinib at a dose of 25 mg daily for non-small cell lung cancers with EGFR mutations. J Thorac Oncol. 2010;5:1048–53.
Lind JS, Postmus PE, Heideman DA, et al. Dramatic response to low-dose erlotinib of epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive recurrent non-small cell lung cancer after severe cutaneous toxicity. J Thorac Oncol. 2009;4:1585–6.
Takeda M, Okamoto I, Fukuoka M, et al. Successful treatment with erlotinib after gefitinib-related severe hepatotoxicity. J Clin Oncol. 2010;28:e273–4.
Kijima T, Shimizu T, Nonen S, et al. Safe and successful treatment with erlotinib after gefitinib-induced hepatotoxicity: difference in metabolism as a possible mechanism. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29:e588–90.
UMIN Clinical Trials Registry. http://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr.cgi?function=brows&action=brows&type=summary&recptno=R000002455&language=J.
Conflict of interest
None declared.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yoshida, T., Yamada, K., Azuma, K. et al. Comparison of adverse events and efficacy between gefitinib and erlotinib in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer: a retrospective analysis. Med Oncol 30, 349 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-012-0349-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-012-0349-y