ABSTRACT
After description of the importance of EGFR mutations in non-small cell lung cancer and confirmation that tyrosine-kinase inhibitors are more beneficial than chemotherapy in patients with EGFR+ tumours, treatment with one of these drugs has become the standard recommendation. Despite this advance, patients continue to progress and consequently there is a need to search for alternative treatments. Some studies have analysed afatinib activity after first-generation TKI therapy, as well as its administration in combination with conventional chemotherapy. Afatinib produces significant response rates and progression-free survival times after the development of clinical resistance, which are independent of the presence of the T790M resistance mutation and can be attributed to continued pan-HER inhibition. In addition to the initial clinical trial, LUX-LUNG-1, data are available from the use of afatinib in routine clinical practice, within extended use programs. Overall, response rates of between 7 and 15% can be expected with a duration of approximately 24 months and a median progression-free time of about 4 months. A study combining afatinib with cetuximab has obtained a high response rate. Afatinib toxicity in second-line treatment is similar to that appears when the drug is used as first-line therapy (mainly mucocutaneous and diarrhoea) and can be managed with routine measures. In conclusion, afatinib should be considered as a treatment option in patients with EGFR mutations who show disease progression after a first tyrosine-kinase inhibitor.
