Tuberc Respir Dis.  2011 Jul;71(1):15-23.

Comparison of Therapeutic Efficacy of Gefitinib and Erlotinib in Patients with Squamous Cell Lung Cancer

• Shin HJ
• Kim TO
• Kang HW
• Chi SY
• Ban HJ
• Kim SO
• Kwon YS
• Oh IJ
• Kim KS
• Kim YI
• Lim SC
• Kim YC

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Gefitinib and erlotinib are useful, molecular targeted agents in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who failed previous chemotherapy. We compared the efficacy and toxicity of two drugs in patients with squamous cell lung cancer, most of whom are male smokers.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the clinical information on patients with NSCLC who were treated with gefitinib or erlotinib treatment at Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital between July 2002 and November 2009. The overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between the two drugs.
RESULTS
A total of 182 (100 gefitinib vs. 82 erlotinib) of 584 patients treated by targeted agents had squamous histology. Of the 182 patients, 167 (91.7%) were male and 159 (87.4%) were smokers. The ORR and disease control rate (DCR) were 4.9% and 40.6%, and there was no significant difference between gefitinib and erlotinib (ORR, 5.0% vs 4.8%; p=0.970; DCR, 40.0% vs 41.4%; p=0.439). The median OS in the gefitinib group was 12.1 months, and that in the erlotinib was 12.7 months (hazard ratio [HR], 1.282; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.771~2.134; p=0.339). The median PFS for the gefitinib group was 1.40 months, compared with 1.37 months for the erlotinib group (HR, 1.092; 95% CI, 0.809~1.474; p=0.564). Skin rash > or =grade 3 was more common in erlotinib (12.2%) than gefitinib (1.0%, p=0.003) groups.
CONCLUSION
This retrospective study showed that the two drugs appear to have similar antitumor efficacy and toxicity except for skin rash.

Keyword

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; gefitinib; erlotinib; Treatment Outcome

MeSH Terms

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell
Disease-Free Survival
Exanthema
Humans
Lung
Lung Neoplasms
Male
Quinazolines
Retrospective Studies
Treatment Outcome
Erlotinib Hydrochloride
Quinazolines

Figure

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  Figure 1 Survival outcomes based on gefitinib and erlotinib treated. Overall survival (A) and progression-free survival (B). Values were calculated by log-rank test.

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