Worldwide, lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality and most of the lung cancer is attributed to tobacco smoke, approximately 25% of lung cancers worldwide occur in the lifelong never smokers.
Based on the numerous researches about this disease, several genetic, environmental, hormonal, and viral factors might increase the risk of lung cancer among never smokers.
So in this way, there has been not a single dominant risk factor whose significance has been validated across racial and ethnic groups.
Nevertheless, lung cancers has received renewed attention because of the establishment of the epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase (EGFR-TK) inhibitors showing the dramatic therapeutic response on selected patients who carried activating Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor mutations which occur more commonly in never smokers.
Treatment strategy takes place by blocking the EGFR pathway in EGFR-mutant lung cancer represents a remarkable example of molecular targeted therapies.
With the help of molecular targeted therapy, completely repress the tumor by inhibition of driving oncogenes.
In non-smoker patients, lung cancer treatment should be initiated with the molecular targeted therapy.
Targeted Therapies:
For targeting the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor pathway has been the mainstream of treatment for advanced NSCLC in never smokers.
Reversible (EGFR) Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-TK inhibitors, gefitinib and erlotinib, has been established as the first-line treatment of EGFR-mutant patients who constitute over 40% of lung cancer in never smokers.
Gefitinib: Gefitinib 250 mg is a kind of prescription lung cancer medication, which used to treat people carrying non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body and:
- that have certain types of abnormal epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genes, and
- who have not had previous treatment for cancer.
On July 13, 2015, the FDA approved gefitinib as a first-line treatment for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer.
Take Gefitinib 250 mg tablet, exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it.
Erlotinib: Erlotinib 150 mg is indicated for patients with metastatic or locally advanced NSCLC who have not responded to at least one chemotherapy regimen.
Erlotinib tablets are available as an oral, film- coated tablet in 25-mg, 100-mg, and 150-mg
strengths.
The recommended dose is 150 mg daily, taken on an empty stomach to ensure consistent absorption.
Erlotinib offers the advantages of oral
administration and less toxicity compared with traditional chemotherapy. It is the first targeted therapy approved for the treatment of NSCLC with documented improvement in survival.
