Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a type of lung cancer that accounts for about 85-90% of all cases of lung cancer. It can be difficult to treat, and often requires aggressive treatment. One of the treatments used for NSCLC is the use of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs). PKIs are a type of drug that blocks the action of certain proteins, known as kinases, which are involved in the growth and spread of cancer cells.
PKIs have been studied as a potential treatment for NSCLC for some time. The first PKI to be approved for treating NSCLC was gefitinib, which was approved in 2003. Gefitinib has been used in combination with chemotherapy to help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, as well as to help reduce the size of tumors.
More recently, other PKIs have been studied as potential treatments for NSCLC. For example, afatinib, an orally administered PIK, has been shown to significantly reduce tumor size and progression in NSCLC patients. Afatinib is approved for the treatment of advanced NSCLC in the US and is being studied as a potential treatment for early-stage NSCLC.
Another example of a PIK is erlotinib, which is another orally administered PIK. Erlotinib has been shown to improve progression free survival in NSCLC patients and is approved for the treatment of advanced NSCLC in the US.
PKIs have also been studied for their potential to reduce the risk of recurrence of NSCLC. For example, erlotinib has been studied as a potential adjuvant therapy for NSCLC and has been shown to reduce the risk of recurrence by up to 20%.
PKIs are a promising treatment option for NSCLC, and can be used in combination with other treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, to help reduce the side effects of these treatments, as well as to reduce the size of tumors and improve progression free survival. PKIs are a valuable tool in the fight against NSCLC and may help to improve outcomes for patients with this type of cancer. Tagrisso 40 mg tablet contain Osimertinib as the active ingredient. This drug belongs to the class of protein kinase inhibitors involved in the treatment of cancer and is used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer in adults.