Sequential treatment of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and chemotherapy for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis of Phase III trials

BACKGROUND: This aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of first-line tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy followed, upon progression, by chemotherapy with the reverse sequence in patients with EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in terms of overall survival. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of studies that met the following criteria: Phase III clinical trial comparing the sequencing of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors with chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC; activating mutations reported; and availability of hazard ratio estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival. RESULTS: Six clinical trials were included in this study. The pooled hazard ratio for overall survival of the EGFR-mutated population that completed sequential treatment was 1.03 (95% CI 0.86–1.22, P=0.776). There was no statistically significant heterogeneity between the studies (tau(2) =0; I(2)=0, 95% CI 0–0.37, P=0.548). Evidence of marked publication bias for the two treatment sequences was insufficient (P=0.145). CONCLUSION: In patients with advanced NSCLC and activating EGFR mutations, first-line chemotherapy followed upon progression by a tyrosine kinase inhibitor was not inferior in terms of overall survival compared with the inverse sequence. This may serve as an indication that chemotherapy could be employed initially if mutation testing results are unavailable.