Gefitinib as monotherapy in the first-line setting in Non-small cell lung Cancer

Recent advances in cancer therapy have resulted in the development ofdrugs that target mechanisms involved in neoplastic change and angiogenesis. Oneexample is Gefitinib (‘Iressa’, ZD1839), an orally-active epidermal growth factorreceptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) that blocks EGFR signaling,thereby inhibiting the growth, proliferation and survival of many solid tumors. This review discusses the potential of Gefitinib as monotherapy in the first line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gefitinib showed promising results as a single agent in NSCLC in terms of tolerability profile and better disease response. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that a molecularly defined population will benefit most from first-line treatment with Gefitinib.