Dr. Chachoua on Afatinib for Exon 19 Mutation in Lung Cancer

Abraham Chachoua, MD, associate director of cancer services at NYU Langone Medical Center, talks about targeted treatment for mutations in non-small cell lung cancer and adenocarcinoma.

Of the three EGFR mutations which are associated with increased sensitivity to EGFR targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), Exon 19 is the most common, says Chachoua. Therapies should be targeted to treat each individual mutation.

Afatinib, a targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) therapy was shown to be superior to chemotherapy in a recent trial looking at a subset of Exon 19 patients.