Introduction
Osimertinib (trade name: Tagrisso) has been approved in Germany since March 2018 for the treatment of advanced lung cancer with activating mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The drug can be used in adult patients who have cancer cells with particular mutations that can lead to faster tumor growth.
Osimertinib (trade name: Tagrisso) has already been approved in Germany since March 2016 for the treatment of advanced lung cancer with a T790M mutation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Learn more about advantages and disadvantages of osimertinib for this group of people here.
Lung cancer is caused by the malignant growth of cells in the airways ( bronchi). It is also referred to as a bronchogenic carcinoma. There are two main types of tumors:
- small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and
- non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
NSCLC is surgically removed. But sometimes the tumor has already become too large or the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastasis) through the blood or lymphatic system. It is then called advanced lung cancer.
Mutations of the growth factor
Some people with non-small-cell lung cancer have an abnormal protein in the tumor tissue, called epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). It can occur in various forms (mutations). Activating EGFR mutations include the mutations exon 21 and exon 19. Activating EGFR mutations can permanently send out growth signals, contributing to the uncontrolled growth of the tumor.
Osimertinib aims to block the mutated receptor in patients who have an activating EGFR mutation in particular, in order to inhibit further tumor growth.