Journal of thoracic oncology : official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
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Inactivation of serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11 or LKB1) is common in lung cancer, and understanding the pathways and phenotypes altered as a consequence will aid the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. Gene and protein expressions in a murine model of v-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (Kras)-mutant lung cancer have been studied to gain insight into the biology of these tumors. However, the molecular consequences of LKB1 loss in human lung cancer have not been fully characterized. ⋯ Loss of LKB1 defines a subset of lung adenocarcinomas associated with characteristic molecular phenotypes and distinctive gene expression features. Studying these effects may improve our understanding of the biology of these tumors and lead to the identification of targeted treatment strategies.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Meta-analysis of first-line therapies in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer harboring EGFR-activating mutations.
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib have been compared with chemotherapy as first-line therapies for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer harboring epidermal growth factor receptor-activating mutations. This meta-analysis compares gefitinib, erlotinib, afatinib, and chemotherapy. ⋯ Gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib out-performed chemotherapy in terms of progression-free survival, overall response rate, and disease control rate. Differences among gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib were not statistically significant.
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The role of surgery in addition to chemotherapy and radiation for stage IIIA non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. Because there are limited data on the benefit from surgery in this setting, we evaluated the use of combined modality therapy nationally and explored the outcomes with and without the addition of surgery. ⋯ There is significant heterogeneity in the treatment of stage IIIA NSCLC in the United States. Patients selected for surgery in addition to chemoradiation therapy seem to have better long-term survival.
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Gefitinib and erlotinib, small-molecule kinase inhibitors that block epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, have demonstrated a dramatic response rate and prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) in patients harboring an activating EGFR mutation. We compared the clinical outcomes in gefitinib- and erlotinib-treated patients harboring EGFR mutations who had recurrent or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). ⋯ In NSCLC patients harboring EGFR mutation, treatment with gefitinib and erlotinib resulted in similar effectiveness.