Abstract

A REVIEW ON EGFR INHIBITORS USED IN CANCER CARE

*Preeti Kulkarni, Ravina Govalkar, Bhaskar Vaidhun, Mashfa Asar, Kartiki Shahir, Priyanka Waje

ABSTRACT

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that constitutes one of the four members of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase receptors. Activation of EGFR results in auto phosphorylation of receptor tyrosine kinase that cause a cascade of downstream signalling pathways concerned in regulating cellular proliferation, differentiation, and survival. EGFR is abnormally activated through numerous mechanisms like receptor overexpression, mutation, ligand-based receptor dimerization, ligand-independent activation and is related to the improvement of a number of human cancers. Currently some EGFR inhibitors are shown positive results & Progression free survival rates. EGFR inhibitors are targeted therapy which combined with chemotherapy & radiotherapy shows clinically positive results with cancer patients. EGFR inhibition is one of the major objectives for most cancer chemotherapy. Clinical approval of tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as erlotinib, gefitinib, & lapatinib for the treatment of NSCLC, pancreatic cancer & many other cancers shows enormous development of EGFR inhibitors in the last ten years. In this review we are discussing currently approved EGFR inhibitors with their clinical updates for treatment of various human cancers such as NSCLC, Pancreatic cancers, HNC & Breast cancer.

Keywords: EGFR, TKRs, Targeted therapy, Chemotherapy.