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Tolerability
of gefitinib in patients receiving treatment in everyday clinical practice
N
van Zandwijk
Department
of Thoracic Oncology and Biometrics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Correspondence to: Dr Nico van
Zandwijk, E-mail: n.v.zandwijk@nki.nl
Gefitinib
('Iressa', ZD1839), an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase
inhibitor, has recently been approved in several countries for use in advanced
or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
In contrast to chemotherapies, which are generally used at or near their
maximum-tolerated dose (MTD), gefitinib is used at an optimal biological dose
(250 mg day-1), which is substantially below its MTD, minimising the
risk of adverse events without compromising efficacy.
Tolerability data from the compassionate use of gefitinib in the 'Iressa'
Expanded Access Programme support the favourable safety profile of the agent
reported in Phase I and II trials.
In both settings, the majority of adverse drug reactions were mild/moderate and consisted mainly of grade 1/2 diarrhoea and skin rash.
Although skin rash has been suggested to predict response to gefitinib,
available data do not support this hypothesis.
Overall, these tolerability data demonstrate that gefitinib has a relatively
benign side-effect profile and is a well-tolerated treatment option for patients
with previously treated NCSLC, who currently have few alternatives.
Keywords: gefitinib ('Iressa',
ZD1839); EGFR-TKI; NSCLC; side effects; tolerability; risk:benefit
doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6601477
© 2003 Cancer Research UK
Source: http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/bjc/journal/v89/n2s/abs/6601477a.html
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