EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and SCLC Transformation

Ravi Salgia, MD, medical oncologist, professor, and chair, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, and Arthur & Rosalie Kaplan chair in Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, explains how treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) can lead to disease transformation.

According to Salgia, the EGFR mutations seen commonly in NSCLC require targeted therapy with an EGFR TKI. But, 5% to 7% of NSCLCs transform to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) following treatment with an EGFR TKI. Knowledge of the potential for transformation to SCLC lead Salgia et al to explore treatment with a novel PP2A inhibitor, LB-100 combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy to address the transformation.

Transcription:

0:08 | Non–small cell lung cancer, as we know, can happen in many different types [of the disease]–and the type for adenocarcinoma especially– and a patient can have an EGFR mutation. And for EGFR mutations, you get these targeted therapies, and they can potentially lead to small cell transformation. It's not very common, it happens in about 5% to 7% of the time in our clinical practice, after the patients receive a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.