Should I use Tarceva in a particular patient type in NSCLC?
Tarceva is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. The results from the Tarceva NSCLC pivotal trial (BR.21) showed an improvement in survival among an unselected population. Some groups of patients appear to receive a greater survival benefit from Tarceva relative to the general population of patients with NSCLC in BR.21, such as patients who were nonsmokers and/or EGFR positive by IHC. The pivotal trial was not powered to analyze specific subsets prospectively; therefore, evidence-based treatment decisions should not be based solely on univariate analyses. In BR.21, Tarceva benefited most patient populations, including: patients with squamous cell and adenocarcinoma, Caucasians and Asians, and smokers and nonsmokers. Genentech, Inc., and OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., are actively engaged in additional studies designed to better understand the clinical relevance
Tarceva monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. Results from two, multicenter, placebo-controlled, randomized, Phase III trials conducted in first-line patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC showed no clinical benefit with the concurrent administration of Tarceva with platinum-based chemotherapy [carboplatin and paclitaxel or gemcitabine and cisplatin] and its use is not recommended in that setting. The results from the Tarceva NSCLC pivotal trial (BR.21) showed an improvement in survival among an unselected population. Some groups of patients appear to receive a greater survival benefit from Tarceva relative to the general population of patients with NSCLC in BR.21, such as patients who were nonsmokers and/or EGFR positive by IHC. The pivotal trial was not powered to analyze specific subsets prospectively; therefore, evidence-based treatme
