Open AccessRetrospective study of adjuvant icotinib in postoperative lung cancer patients harboring epidermal growth factor receptor mutations
Author(s) -
Yao Shuyang,
Zhi Xiuyi,
Wang Ruotian,
Qian Kun,
Hu Mu,
Zhang Yi
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
thoracic cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1759-7714
pISSN - 1759-7706
DOI - 10.1111/1759-7714.12365
Subject(s) - medicine , epidermal growth factor receptor , oncology , adjuvant , retrospective cohort study , lung cancer , epidermal growth factor , cancer research , cancer , receptor
Background Epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) mutations occur in about 50% of Asian patients with non‐small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC ). Patients with advanced NSCLC and EGFR mutations derive clinical benefit from treatment with EGFR ‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors ( TKIs ). This study assessed the efficacy and safety of adjuvant icotinib without chemotherapy in EGFR ‐mutated NSCLC patients undergoing resection of stage IB – IIIA . Methods Our retrospective study enrolled 20 patients treated with icotinib as adjuvant therapy. Survival factors were evaluated by univariate and Cox regression analysis. Results The median follow‐up time was 30 months (range 24–41). At the data cut‐off, five patients (25%) had recurrence or metastasis and one patient had died of the disease. The two‐year disease‐free survival ( DFS ) rate was 85%. No recurrence occurred in the high‐risk stage IB subgroup during the follow‐up period. In univariate analysis, the micropapillary pattern had a statistically significant effect on DFS ( P = 0.040). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that there was no independent predictor. Drug related adverse events ( AEs ) occurred in nine patients (45.0%). The most common AE s were skin‐related events and diarrhea, but were relatively mild. No grade 3 AE s or occurrences of intolerable toxicity were observed. Conclusions Icotinib as adjuvant therapy is effective in patients harboring EGFR mutations after complete resection, with an acceptable AE profile. Further trials with larger sample sizes might confirm the efficiency of adjuvant TKI in selected patients.