Correction to: Influence of afatinib dose on outcomes of advanced EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients with brain metastases

Management of diarrhea induced by EGFR-TKIs in advanced lung adenocarcinoma

The identification of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutations in lung adenocarcinoma has facilitated the development of personalized medicine based on oncogenic drivers. EGFR-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) are part of the targeted therapy; they impede the phosphorylation of the intracellular tyrosine kinase component of EGFR and consequently block signal transduction pathways. These drugs inhibit the proliferation and survival of tumor cells, leading to long-term progression-free survival and overall survival. Diarrhea is one of the most frequent adverse events associated with EGFR-TKIs, affecting at least 18% of patients and reaching up to 95% in some cases. Diarrhea should be managed carefully given its association with important complications, treatment interruptions, and dose reductions. Moreover, nutritional status and quality of life (QoL) can deteriorate due to severe diarrhea. Changes in diet, such as increment of fiber, supplementation with glutamine, and use of probiotics, may contribute to a decrease in the incidence of diarrhea. Improving the control of diarrhea can provide a significant benefit to the QoL of patients.

Afatinib as First-Line Treatment in Asian Patients with EGFR Mutation-Positive NSCLC: A Narrative Review of Real-World Evidence

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs) are a standard of care in the first-line treatment of patients with EGFR mutation-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). EGFR mutations are relatively common in Asian patients with NSCLC, and there is an increasing number of studies supporting the effectiveness of the second-generation TKI afatinib in routine clinical practice in Asia. This article reviews these real-world studies investigating afatinib as first-line treatment for EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC in Asian patients. Evidence from real-world studies with afatinib in this patient population supports findings from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) showing that afatinib is associated with more favorable outcomes compared with the first-generation EGFR TKIs. The effectiveness of afatinib has also been shown in real-world studies in Asian patients with poor prognostic factors, who are often under-represented or excluded from RCTs, such as those with uncommon EGFR mutations, brain metastases, or poor performance status, and elderly patients. The tolerability profile of afatinib in the real-world setting reflects that seen in RCTs, with no new safety signals reported in real-world studies in Asian patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC. Dose-modification strategies also seem to be effective in the real world, with results of the RealGido study, which included 44% Asian patients, confirming findings from prospective clinical trials showing that tolerability-guided afatinib dose modifications can reduce the incidence of adverse events without adversely affecting clinical outcomes. While further research, including clinical trial data, is needed, real-world data have also demonstrated the feasibility of sequential afatinib followed by the third-generation TKI osimertinib in T790M-positive EGFR mutation-positive patients, which showed longer overall survival. Together, these real-world results demonstrate the real-world clinical effectiveness of afatinib as first-line treatment for patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC.

First-line afatinib for the treatment of EGFR mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer in the 'real-world' clinical setting

Afatinib is an ErbB family blocker that is approved for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Pivotal randomized clinical studies demonstrated that afatinib significantly prolonged progression-free survival compared with platinum-based chemotherapy (LUX-Lung 3, LUX-Lung 6), and with gefitinib (LUX-Lung 7), with manageable side effects. However, these results were derived from controlled studies conducted in selected patients and are not necessarily representative of real-world use of afatinib. To gain a broader understanding of the effectiveness and safety of first-line afatinib, we have undertaken a literature review of real-world studies that have assessed its use in a variety of patient populations. We focused on patients with uncommon EGFR mutations, brain metastases, or those of advanced age, as these patients are often excluded from clinical studies but are regularly seen in routine clinical practice. The available real-world studies suggest that afatinib has clinical activity, and is tolerable, in diverse patient populations in an everyday clinical practice setting. Moreover, consistent with LUX-Lung 7, several real-world comparative studies indicate that afatinib might confer better efficacy than first-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Tolerability-guided dose adjustment, undertaken in 21-68% of patients in clinical practice, did not appear to reduce the efficacy of afatinib. Taken together, these findings provide further support for the use of afatinib as a treatment option in patients with EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC.