Dr. Oxnard on Delaying Second-Line Treatment in EGFR-Mutant Lung Cancer

Geoffrey R. Oxnard, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, discusses how to define resistance to EGFR-inhibitors in lung cancer.

A lot of lung cancer patients that are identified as having acquired resistance to an EGFR-inhibitor are asymptomatic, says Oxnard. While it may be determined that a patient has progressed based lesion growth by a radiation oncologist, it is possible that a patient may be able to stay on their first-line treatment after this growth and still see benefit.

Waiting a couple more months before starting second-line therapy can allow patients to delay the toxicities that come with chemotherapy, and allow the oncologist to determine the best action plan for their treatment, says Oxnard.

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