Clinical studies have established the clinical application of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) adjuvant targeted therapy. Compared with chemotherapy, the high efficiency and low toxicity of targeted therapy increases the survival benefit of patients. Icotinib was the first EGFR-TKI with independent intellectual property rights in China and the third EGFR-TKI to be marketed in the world. In order to summarize the experience of icotinib and other EGFR-TKIs in the adjuvant treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and further standardize and guide the clinical application of icotinib, experts from the China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care and the Guangdong Association of Thoracic Diseases have organized an expert consensus on the adjuvant treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with icotinib, which is expected to provide clinicians with evidence-based medical evidences for postoperative targeted drug using.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Lung Neoplasms/surgery* ; Consensus ; Mutation ; ErbB Receptors/genetics* ; Crown Ethers/therapeutic use* ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVETo guide the optimal selection among first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in clinical practice. This review attempted to provide a thorough comparison among three first-generation EGFR-TKIs, namely icotinib, erlotinib, and gefitinib, with regard to their molecular structure, pharmacokinetic parameters, clinical data, adverse reactions, and contraindications.

DATA SOURCESAn electronic literature search of the PubMed database and Google Scholar for all the available articles regarding gefitinib, icotinib, and erlotinib in the English language from January 2005 to December 2014 was used.

STUDY SELECTIONThe search terms or keywords included but not limited to "lung cancer", "nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC)", "epidemiology", "EGFR", "TKIs", and "optimal selection ".

RESULTSAs suggested by this review, even though the three first-generation EGFR-TKIs share the quinazoline structure, erlotinib had the strongest apoptosis induction activity because of its use of a different side-chain. The pharmacokinetic parameters indicated that both erlotinib and icotinib are affected by food. The therapeutic window of erlotinib is narrow, and the recommended dosage is close to the maximum tolerable dosage. Icotinib enjoys a wider therapeutic window, and its concentration in the blood is within a safe dosage range even if it is administered with food. Based on multiple large-scale clinical trials, erlotinib is universally applied as the first-line treatment. In marked contrast, icotinib is available only in China as the second- or third-line therapeutic approach for treating advanced lung cancer. In addition, it exhibits a similar efficacy but better safety profile than gefitinib.

CONCLUSIONSAlthough there is a paucity of literature regarding whether icotinib is superior to erlotinib, its superior toxicity profile, noninferior efficacy, and lower cost indicate that it is a better alternative for Chinese patients living with advanced NSCLC.

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; Crown Ethers ; therapeutic use ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Quinazolines ; therapeutic use ; Treatment Outcome

Acrylamides ; therapeutic use ; Aged ; Aniline Compounds ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Crown Ethers ; therapeutic use ; ErbB Receptors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Mutation ; genetics ; Quinazolines ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUNDThe preclinical experiments and studies of congener drugs show icotinib, a new epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, can specifically bind to the tyrosine kinase domain of the EGFR, block the EGFR related signal, thereby inhibit the growth of tumor cell. The objective of this study was to investigate the safety, tolerability and dose-related biologic effects of icotinib in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a Chinese patient population.

METHODSThis was an open-label, phase I, dose escalation, safety/tolerability trial of oral icotinib (100 to 400 mg), administered twice per day for 28-continuous-day cycles until disease progression or undue toxicity.

RESULTSForty patients with stage IIIB (15%) or IV (85%) NSCLC were included in the study. They had mainly adenocarcinoma (85%), with a performance status (PS) of 0 (45%) or 1 (55%) and less than half the patients (45%) had histories of smoking and all were pretreated by at least one regimen of chemotherapy. Patients were assigned to three dose levels of 150 mg b.i.d, 200 mg b.i.d, or 125 mg t.i.d. The follow-up periods ranged from 5 to 80 weeks. Adverse events were found in 35% patients, most of which were mild and reversible. The adverse events mainly occurred in the first 4 weeks and included rash (25%), diarrhea, nausea and abdominal distention. One definite interstitial lung disease (ILD) was found in a patient in the dose of 200 mg b.i.d. According to an 8-week assessment, one (2.5%) patient receiving 150 mg gained complete response (CR) that persisted for 44 weeks, seven (17.50%) patients had partial remission (PR), and 18 (45%) patients had stable disease (SD). The objective response including CR + PR was 20%. The median time of progression-free survival for the 40 patients was 20 weeks (range: 12 to 32 weeks). The response was not affected by pathological type, history of smoking, or numbers of previous therapeutic regimens. No relationship between dose, response, adverse effect, or duration of the study was observed.

CONCLUSIONSIcotinib, given as oral twice daily, showed favorable safety and tolerability. Mild and reversible rash, diarrhea, and nausea were the main adverse events. Antitumor activity was obvious at each dose in heavily pretreated patients. Pharmacodynamic evaluations and further phase II/III trials are in progress.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; mortality ; pathology ; Crown Ethers ; therapeutic use ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quinazolines ; therapeutic use ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; antagonists & inhibitors

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; Crown Ethers ; therapeutic use ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; therapeutic use ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Mutation ; Precision Medicine ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors ; therapeutic use ; Pyrazoles ; therapeutic use ; Pyridines ; therapeutic use ; Quality Control ; Quinazolines ; therapeutic use ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics

A 61-year-old Chinese woman was diagnosed as primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma of left superior lobe with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) 19 del mutation positive. Treatment with icotinib was given, but her disease progressed after 6 months remission. CT-guide needle biopsy for the new lesion in inferior lobe of left lung demonstrated intrapulmonary metastasis, and EGFR gene panel by Amplification Refractory Mutation System Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR) confirmed EGFR T790M mutation. Treatment with osimertinib was initiated. After 2 months remission, the disease progressed. Re-biopsy was performed for the tumor in the inferior lobe of left lung, and ARMS-PCR demonstrated no other gene mutation except EGFR 19 del. Icotinib was re-challenged, but disease progressed continuously. Bevacizumab was added, and partial response was achieved after 2-cycle of combination therapy. The non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in this case maintained EGFR activating mutation and lost EGFR T790M mutation was a genetic change after osimertinib treatment. This case suggests the re-challenge of the first-generation EGFR-TKIs combined with bevacizumab may overcome the tumor resistance and prolong survival of NSCLC patient.
Acrylamides/therapeutic use* ; Adenocarcinoma of Lung/pathology* ; Aniline Compounds/therapeutic use* ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Bevacizumab/therapeutic use* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Crown Ethers/therapeutic use* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects* ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Quinazolines/therapeutic use* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDThe preclinical experiments and several clinical studies showed icotinib, an oral epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor, in Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who failed previous chemotherapy. We performed a retrospective study of the efficacy and safety of icotinib monotherapy in a different and more recent sample of Chinese patients.

METHODSThe clinical data of 149 patients with advanced NSCLC who were admitted to Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from August 1, 2011 to July 31, 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were given icotinib treatment after the failure of previous chemotherapy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted based on the Kaplan Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTSThe objective response rate was 33/149 and disease control rate was 105/149. No complete response occurred. Median progression free survival (PFS) with icotinib treatment was 5.03 months (95% CI: 3.51 to 6.55). Median overall survival was 12.3 months (95% CI: 10.68 to 13.92). Multivariate analysis showed that the mutation of EGFR and one regimen of prior chemotherapy were significantly associated with longer PFS. At least one drug related adverse event was observed in 65.8% (98/149) of patients, but mostly grade 1 or 2 and reversible and none grade 4 toxicity.

CONCLUSIONSIcotinib monotherapy is an effective and well tolerated regimen for Chinese patients with NSCLC after the failure of chemotherapy. It is a promising agent and further study with icotinib in properly conducted trials with larger patient samples and other ethnic groups is warranted.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; Crown Ethers ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Quinazolines ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUNDMolecular targeted drugs is now widely used in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) clinical treatment. Icotinib hydrochloride is a new type of oral epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). In this study, we examined the role of EGFR, K-RAS, B-RAF somatic mutations and EGFR mRNA expression in tumor specimens from advanced NSCLC patients as predicators of the efficacy of icotinib hydrochloride.

METHODSWe analyzed tumor paraffin-embedded specimens, which were obtained from 14 of 40 patients with advanced NSCLC who enrolled in the stage I clinical trial of icotinib hydrochloride. Somatic mutations were evaluated by mutant-enriched liquidchip (MEL) technology, and EGFR mRNA expression was measured by branched DNA liquidchip (MBL) technology.

RESULTSIn the 14 specimens, seven patients showed EGFR mutations, exon 19 deletion (3/7) and exon 21 point mutation (4/7); and two patients showed K-RAS mutation. No mutations in EGFR exon 20 or B-RAF were detected. In patients with EGFR mutation, one patient developed progress disease (PD), three patients had stable disease (SD), two patients had partial responses (PR) and one patient had a complete response (CR). In patients with wild-type EGFR, four patients had PD, three patients acquired SD, and none had PR/CR (P = 0.0407). EGFR mutations were associated with better progress-free survival (PFS) (141 days vs. 61 days) but without a statistically significant difference (P = 0.8597), and median overall survival (OS) (≥ 449 days vs. 140 days). EGFR mRNA expression levels were evaluated (three high, eight moderate, one low, and two that can not be measured due to insufficient tumor tissue) and no statistically significant relationships was observed with response, PFS or OS.

CONCLUSIONSThe EGFR mutation rate was consistent with that reported in the Asian population, so the MEL technology is reliable for measuring EGFR mutation with high throughput and rapidity. EGFR exon 19 deletions and exon 21 point mutation are predictive biomarkers for response to icotinib hydrochloride as second line treatment or above.

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Crown Ethers ; therapeutic use ; Exons ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) ; genetics ; Quinazolines ; therapeutic use ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; genetics

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of combination of icotinib and cetuximab on the acquired drug resistance caused by T790M mutation of EGFR in NSCLC, and provide experimental evidence for rational treatment of NSCLC.

METHODSThe effects of these two agents on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and EGFR-dependent signaling were evaluated using 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, annexin V staining, and Western blotting. The expression of molecular markers of tumor proliferation PCNA and Ki-67 protein was further examined by immunohistochemistry, and the expression of EGFR-signaling-related proteins in tissue sections taken from H1975 tumor xenografts was assessed by Western blot assay. Sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors was detected in human H1975 tumor xenograft in nude mice.

RESULTSThe in vitro experiment showed that the proliferative ability of H1975 cells was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, along with the increasing doses of cetuximab and icotinib, and the combination of cetuximab with icotinib resulted in a more pronounced growth inhibition of the H1975 cells. The apoptosis rate of H1975 cells after treatment with 0.5 µmol/L icotinib and 1 µg/ml cetuximab was (22.03 ± 2.41)% and that after treatment with 5 µmol/L icotinib and 10 µg/ml cetuximab was (42.75 ± 2.49)%, both were significantly higher than that after treatment with the same dose of icotinib or cetuximab alone (P < 0.05). The nude mouse experiment showed that the transplanted tumor was growing to (614.5 ± 10.8) mm(3) in the blank control group and to (611.2 ± 8.7) mm(3) at 28 days after icotinib treatment, but (30.8 ± 2.0) mm(3) in the cetuximab treatment group and 0 mm(3) in the cetuximab combined with icotinib group. There was a significantly decreased expression of Ki-67 and PCNA proteins and down-regulation of phosphorylation of EGFR signaling-related proteins in the cetuximab combined with icotinib group.

CONCLUSIONSThe combination of icotinib with cetuximab can exert synergistic inhibitory effect on the acquired drug resistance caused by T790M mutation of EGFR in NSCLC H1975 cells, interrupts the EGFR-downstream signaling pathway, and enhances the anticancer activity of chemotherapeutic drugs. Our results provide further experimental evidence for the clinical studies of combination of icotinib with cetuximab in the treatment of NSCLC patients associated with secondary drug resistance caused by T790M mutation of EGFR.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cetuximab ; Crown Ethers ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Down-Regulation ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Genes, erbB-1 ; genetics ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Mutation ; Quinazolines ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo explore the efficacy and side effects of icotinib hydrochloride in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSThe efficacy and side effects of icotinib hydrochloride in treatment of 59 cases with stage IV NSCIC and followed-up from March 2009 to January 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSTwenty seven patients (45.8%) showed partial response (PR), 17 patients (28.8%) achieved SD, and 15 (25.4%) had progressive disease. The objective response rate (ORR) was 45.8% (27/59), and disease control rate (DCR) was 74.6% (44/59). Among the 23 patients with EGFR mutation, ORR was 73.9% (17/23), and DCR was 95.7% (22/23). Thirty six patients (61.0%) achieved remission of symptoms to varying degrees. The main symptoms relieved were cough, asthmatic suffocating, pain and hoarseness. The major adverse events were mild skin rash (35.6%) and diarrhea (15.3%). Others were dry skin, nausea and stomach problems. The efficacy of icotinib hydrochloride were related to the ECOG performance status, smoking history, EGFR mutation and rash significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSMonotherapy with icotinib hydrochloride is effective and tolerable for patients with advanced NSCLC, especially with EGFR mutation.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antineoplastic Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; genetics ; pathology ; Crown Ethers ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Diarrhea ; chemically induced ; Disease Progression ; Exanthema ; chemically induced ; Exons ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Neoplasm Staging ; Quinazolines ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; genetics ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate