Survival comparable in erlotinib-treated patients with, without renal insufficiency

Overall survival (OS) is similar between patients with and without renal insufficiency who have been treated with erlotinib, reports a study. Progression-free survival (PFS) is about 6 months shorter in PFS patients with classical mutation relative to those with RI, albeit statistically nonsignificant.

The authors designed this study to investigate the effect of renal insufficiency (RI) on erlotinib treatment outcomes. They stratified 82 patients receiving erlotinib into three groups: non-RI patients with classical epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations (group 1), patients with RI (EGFR <60 mL/min) and classical EGFR mutations (group 2), and those with nonclassical EGFR mutations (group 3).

Although not statistically significant, median PFS among patients with classical mutations was approximately 6 months shorter in those with RI. Additionally, median OS was 34.1 months in group 1, 35.2 months in group 2, and 15 months in group 3, while median OS was 20 months in group 3, albeit statistically nonsignificant.

In univariate and multivariate Cox-regression analyses, PFS and OS were shorter in male patients and those with ECOG ≥2, and longer in patients with recurrent lung tumours and generating rash during treatment with erlotinib.

Notably, no significant difference was observed in adverse events between RI and non-RI patients, except for fatigue and appetite loss.

“Erlotinib is an effective treatment option for EGFR-mutant nonsmall cell lung cancer,” the authors said. “It is important to predict patients who will respond better to erlotinib.”