OBJECITVE: To assess the efficacy of combination therapy with EGFR-TKI and a cytotoxic drug in lung adenocarcinoma already being treated with EGFR-TKI.
Methods: Eight patients with adenocarcinoma who were treated with combination therapy of EGFR-TKI and a cytotoxic drug between April 2008 and December 2010 were retrospectively evaluated for response rate, disease-control rate, progression-free survival(PFS), time-to-treatment-failure(TTF)and overall survival(OS).
Results: Among the 7 patients with tumor samples available, EGFR-mutations were detected in six.The median number of prior therapy regimens received by the patients was 5.All the patients had been treated before with both gefitinib and erlotinib.Among 8 patients, six showed stable disease, including three patients intolerant because of severe hematological toxicities, and 2 with progressive disease.The disease-control rate was 75%, and median TTF, PFS, and OS were 42 days, 84 days, and 495 days, respectively.
Conclusion: Combination therapy with EGFR-TKI and a cytotoxic drug after the failure of EGFR-TKI may be a useful therapeutic option for selected patients.