Lung cancer: TKI inhibitors, systematic review and aggregate data meta-analysis

Should tyrosine kinase inhibitors be considered for advanced non-small cell lung cancer with wild type EGFR? Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised trials

Does second line or maintenance chemotherapy improve survival for patients with advanced non-small lung cancer and wild-type EGFR?

What was this study about?

Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses were carried out bringing together trials that looked at whether adding TKIs as second-line or maintenance treatment after first-line chemotherapy improved progression-free survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and wild-type EGFR.

What difference did this study make?

For trials that gave TKIs as second-line treatment, results showed patients with wild-type EGFR did not benefit from TKIs whilst those with mutations did benefit from TKIs.

For trials that gave TKIs as maintenance treatment, TKI benefitted all patients.

Vale CL, Burdett S, Fisher DJ, Navani N, Parmar MKB, Copas AJ, et al. Should Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Be Considered for Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients With Wild Type EGFR? Two Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Randomized Trials. Clinical Lung Cancer. 2015;16(3):173-82.e4

Type of study

Meta-analyses

Contact details

MRCCTU.Meta-Analysis@ucl.ac.uk

Who funded the study?

The Medical Research Council.

When did it take place?

This study was published in 2015 and brought together the results of trials that were carried out between 2001 and 2014.

Where did it take place?

This study was done at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL but brings together the results of trials from all over the world.

Who was included?

This study brought together 14 trials (4388 patients) that studied the TKIs given as second line treatment and 6 trials (2697 patients) that studied the TKIs given as maintenance therapy.