Journal of Cancer and Tumor International

Aim: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are a new class of drugs that are proven to be more efficacious than chemotherapy in certain cancers including lung cancer. However, the efficacy of TKIs may vary in different global populations as different ethnic populations have different genetic and/or environmental background. In this study, we have evaluated the efficacy of gefinitib in comparison with chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) from India. Methods: 50 Non-smokers or ex-light-smokers patients with histologically proven diagnosis of NSCLC were included in this study. 28 patients were positive for EGFR mutations and 18 patients negative for EGFR mutations. We compared the response rates and overall survival of EGFR mutation positive patients and EGFR mutation negative patients with respect to the gefitinib treatment. The statistical significance was calculated using Chi-square test. 

Results: The overall response rate in patients with EGFR mutation-positive tumors treated with gefitinib was found to be 67% as compared to only 12.5% in case of EGFR mutation negative patients treated with gefitinib. The overall survival rate was found to be better in patients who were EGFR positive (15.58±6.39 months) as compared to patients who were EGFR negative (6.63±5.78 months), when treated upfront with gefitinib (p=0.005).

Conclusion: In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrate that Indian NSCLC patients who were EGFR positive respond favorably to gefitinib and it may be considered as a more suitable option, in comparison to chemotherapy, for the treatment of NSCLC Indian patients who are EGFR mutation positive.