Gefitinib or Docetaxel as Second Line Therapy for Wild-type Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) NSCLC

Summary

Gefitinib, the first EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in the world was examined as monotherapy in two phase Ⅱ studies called IDEAL trials. Response rate with doses of 250mg and 500mg/day were similar, ranging from 10% to 18%. Posterior analysis demonstrated that patients with EGFR mutation had an improved response rate (RR) to gefitinib compared to wild-type patients (46% versus 10%). The early trials that evaluated EGFR-TKIs for the second- and third-line settings of advanced NSCLC did not select patients on the basis of any EGFR marker. The IEESSA Survival Evaluation in Lung Cancer (ISEL) trial evaluated the role of second-line gefitinib 250mg/day in 1692 patients with advanced NSCLC. Patients with EGFR mutations had higher RR than patients without (37.5% versus 2.6%). From the above results, the response rate in patients without EGFR gene mutation was obviously different (10% versus 2.6%). The methods used for detecting EGFR gene mutation was different, which might contribute to the difference of response rates. In IDEAL trial, EGFR gene mutation was detected by sequencing. But in ISEL trial, EGFR gene mutation was detected by ARMS. As we know, ARMS was more sensitive than sequencing in detecting EGFR gene mutation. That is to say, in IDEAL trials some EGFR mutant patients were misdiagnosed as wild-type patients, so the response rate was higher. Recently, Wu Yi-Long et al reported that relative abundance of EGFR mutations predicted benefit form gefitinib treatment for advanced non small cell lung cancer. The study cohort was all Chinese. In this study, the objective response rate in patients without EGFR mutation detected by ARMS was 16.1%, which was significantly higher than the response rate of docetaxel. But in 2012 American society of clinical oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, the Tailor study in which Italian NSCLC patients were enrolled demonstrated a clear superiority of docetaxel over erlotinib as second line treatment for patients without EGFR mutations in exons 19 or 21. So we wonder if the racial difference is the determinant factor. So the purpose of this trial is to compare the efficacy and safety of gefitinib with docetaxel as second-line therapy for advanced or metastatic Chinese NSCLC patients with wild-type EGFR.

Timeline

Start

2012-12

Primary completion

2013-12

Completion

2014-12

Publications

• Results Shepherd FA, Dancey J, Ramlau R, Mattson K, Gralla R, O'Rourke M, Levitan N, Gressot L, Vincent M, Burkes R, Coughlin S, Kim Y, Berille J. Prospective randomized trial of docetaxel versus best supportive care in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2000 May;18(10):2095-103. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2000.18.10.2095.
• Results Fossella FV, DeVore R, Kerr RN, Crawford J, Natale RR, Dunphy F, Kalman L, Miller V, Lee JS, Moore M, Gandara D, Karp D, Vokes E, Kris M, Kim Y, Gamza F, Hammershaimb L. Randomized phase III trial of docetaxel versus vinorelbine or ifosfamide in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer previously treated with platinum-containing chemotherapy regimens. The TAX 320 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Study Group. J Clin Oncol. 2000 Jun;18(12):2354-62. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2000.18.12.2354.
• Results Hanna N, Shepherd FA, Fossella FV, Pereira JR, De Marinis F, von Pawel J, Gatzemeier U, Tsao TC, Pless M, Muller T, Lim HL, Desch C, Szondy K, Gervais R, Shaharyar, Manegold C, Paul S, Paoletti P, Einhorn L, Bunn PA Jr. Randomized phase III trial of pemetrexed versus docetaxel in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer previously treated with chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2004 May 1;22(9):1589-97. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2004.08.163.
• Results Cufer T, Vrdoljak E, Gaafar R, Erensoy I, Pemberton K; SIGN Study Group. Phase II, open-label, randomized study (SIGN) of single-agent gefitinib (IRESSA) or docetaxel as second-line therapy in patients with advanced (stage IIIb or IV) non-small-cell lung cancer. Anticancer Drugs. 2006 Apr;17(4):401-9. doi: 10.1097/01.cad.0000203381.99490.ab.
• Results Fukuoka M, Yano S, Giaccone G, Tamura T, Nakagawa K, Douillard JY, Nishiwaki Y, Vansteenkiste J, Kudoh S, Rischin D, Eek R, Horai T, Noda K, Takata I, Smit E, Averbuch S, Macleod A, Feyereislova A, Dong RP, Baselga J. Multi-institutional randomized phase II trial of gefitinib for previously treated patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (The IDEAL 1 Trial) [corrected]. J Clin Oncol. 2003 Jun 15;21(12):2237-46. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2003.10.038. Epub 2003 May 14.
• Results Kris MG, Natale RB, Herbst RS, Lynch TJ Jr, Prager D, Belani CP, Schiller JH, Kelly K, Spiridonidis H, Sandler A, Albain KS, Cella D, Wolf MK, Averbuch SD, Ochs JJ, Kay AC. Efficacy of gefitinib, an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase, in symptomatic patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a randomized trial. JAMA. 2003 Oct 22;290(16):2149-58. doi: 10.1001/jama.290.16.2149.
• Results Bell DW, Lynch TJ, Haserlat SM, Harris PL, Okimoto RA, Brannigan BW, Sgroi DC, Muir B, Riemenschneider MJ, Iacona RB, Krebs AD, Johnson DH, Giaccone G, Herbst RS, Manegold C, Fukuoka M, Kris MG, Baselga J, Ochs JS, Haber DA. Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations and gene amplification in non-small-cell lung cancer: molecular analysis of the IDEAL/INTACT gefitinib trials. J Clin Oncol. 2005 Nov 1;23(31):8081-92. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2005.02.7078. Epub 2005 Oct 3.
• Results Shepherd FA, Rodrigues Pereira J, Ciuleanu T, Tan EH, Hirsh V, Thongprasert S, Campos D, Maoleekoonpiroj S, Smylie M, Martins R, van Kooten M, Dediu M, Findlay B, Tu D, Johnston D, Bezjak A, Clark G, Santabarbara P, Seymour L; National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. Erlotinib in previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2005 Jul 14;353(2):123-32. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa050753.
• Results Thatcher N, Chang A, Parikh P, Rodrigues Pereira J, Ciuleanu T, von Pawel J, Thongprasert S, Tan EH, Pemberton K, Archer V, Carroll K. 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 Oct 29-Nov 4;366(9496):1527-37. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67625-8.
• Results Hirsch FR, Varella-Garcia M, Bunn PA Jr, Franklin WA, Dziadziuszko R, Thatcher N, Chang A, Parikh P, Pereira JR, Ciuleanu T, von Pawel J, Watkins C, Flannery A, Ellison G, Donald E, Knight L, Parums D, Botwood N, Holloway B. Molecular predictors of outcome with gefitinib in a phase III placebo-controlled study in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Nov 1;24(31):5034-42. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2006.06.3958.

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