Can erlotinib cure pancreatic cancer?
Erlotinib is a small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor against epidermal growth factor receptor which has an important role in the molecular pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. In both pre-clinical and early clinical evaluation it has shown anti-tumor activity against pancreatic cancer in combination with gemcitabine.
When was erlotinib approved for pancreatic cancer?
As noted above, the FDA approved erlotinib for use in pancreatic cancer in 2005. The remainder of this review will discuss the preclinical and clinical data supporting a role for targeted anti-EGFR therapy in advanced pancreatic cancer, with specific attention to this particular agent.
How is gemcitabine administered for pancreatic cancer?
Gemcitabine and capecitabine (GemCap) You will have an infusion of gemcitabine for 30 minutes, and you will have this once a week for three weeks. Capecitabine is taken as tablets, which you will take twice a day for the 3 weeks.
What is the success rate of gemcitabine?
Treatment with single-agent gemcitabine achieved clinical benefit and symptoms improvement in 20-30% of patients. While 1-year survival was observed in 2% of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-treated patients, it was raised to 18% by single-agent gemcitabine.
How does erlotinib work?
How erlotinib works. Erlotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) which is a type of cancer growth blocker. It blocks proteins on cancer cells that encourage the cancer to grow. These proteins are called epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR).
Is Gemzar the same as gemcitabine?
Gemzar (gemcitabine) is a chemotherapy drug used to treat certain types of malignant tumors, including some cases of ovarian cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and breast cancer.
How long can you stay on gemcitabine?
You usually have gemcitabine as a course of several cycles of treatment. This means that you have the drug and then a rest to allow your body to recover. Usually a cycle of gemcitabine is over 3 to 4 weeks (21 to 28 days). You usually have gemcitabine once a week for 2 or 3 weeks and then a week with no treatment.
Can gemcitabine cure cancer?
How long do gemcitabine side effects last?
Nausea and vomiting may occur after your treatment and may last for 24 hours.
How long does erlotinib work?
Erlotinib is highly effective in the subset of patients carrying EGFR mutations. However, even these patients will eventually begin to show progression of their cancer after about 12 months of erlotinib therapy.
What type of treatment is erlotinib?
Erlotinib is a type of targeted cancer drug, and is also known by its brand name Tarceva (pronounced tar-see-vah). It is a treatment for: non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread (advanced) advanced pancreatic cancer – alongside the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine.
What are the side effects of gemcitabine chemotherapy?
Side Effects
- Black, tarry stools.
- bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet.
- blood in the urine or stools.
- chest pain.
- cloudy urine.
- coughing up blood.
- difficult or labored breathing.
- difficulty in moving.
Is gemcitabine plus erlotinib effective for advanced pancreatic cancer?
Gemcitabine plus erlotinib represent a new option for the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, with mild but clinically meaningful additive efficacy compared with gemcitabine alone. Its safety profile is generally acceptable, although careful management is needed for some specific adverse events …
What is the optimal dosing of erlotinib in advanced pancreatic cancer?
Optimal dosing of erlotinib in advanced pancreatic cancer patients also remains in question. In the PA.3 trial, a dose of 150 mg daily was associated with significantly higher toxicity than 100 mg daily and required dose reductions in 48% of patients (Moore et al 2007b).
Does erlotinib/gemcitabine prolong life expectancy?
Results: A total of 569 patients were randomly assigned. Overall survival based on an intent-to-treat analysis was significantly prolonged on the erlotinib/gemcitabine arm with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.69 to 0.99; P = .038, adjusted for stratification factors; median 6.24 months v 5.91 months).
What is the pivotal study upon which the FDA approval of erlotinib was based?
The pivotal study upon which the FDA approval of erlotinib for use in pancreatic cancer was based was PA.3, a phase III trial conducted by the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group (NCIC-CTG).