Afatinib for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer with unusual EGFR mutations: a plain language summary.

WHAT IS EGFR & WHAT IS AFATINIB?: EGFR is a protein on cells that helps control their growth and division. Mutations in the gene for EGFR can cause cancer, including some cases of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Afatinib is a medicine that blocks mutated and helps kill cancer cells. Many different types of mutation have been identified in people with NSCLC. Over three quarters of cases are caused by two types of mutation, known as common mutations, but some cases are caused by unusual/uncommon mutations. People with NSCLC who have these unusual/ uncommon mutations are often excluded from clinical trials. Consequently, researchers don't really know how well medicines like afatinib work in these people.

WHAT IS THIS SUMMARY ABOUT?: This is a summary of a study reporting findings from a large database of people with non-small-cell lung cancer (also called NSCLC) who have unusual or uncommon changes in a gene called and who received afatinib. The researchers used the database to see how effective afatinib is in people who have different types of unusual mutation. Afatinib seems to work well in people with NSCLC who have not already been treated. Part of the study also looked at people who had received a similar treatment, called osimertinib, in the past compared to those who had not been treated with this medicine.

WHAT DID THE RESEARCHERS FIND?: The researchers found that afatinib works well in most people with NSCLC who have unusual/uncommon mutations, although it seems to work better against certain types of these mutations than others.

WHAT DO THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY MEAN?: The researchers concluded that afatinib is a treatment option for most people with NSCLC and unusual/uncommon mutations. It is important for doctors to identify the precise type of mutation in a tumor before starting treatment.