GEFITINIB (IRESSA) FOR THE TREATMENT OF CANCER

摘要

Described herein are methods for treating cancer and other disease conditions in individuals who have either developed a resistance to conventional tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy or who are non-responsive ab initio to conventional TKI therapy. In various embodiments, the methods include administering to a patient a resistance-surmounting quantity of a TKI on a weekly or semi-weekly basis. Alternate embodiments of the present invention include a diagnostic method for assessing an individual's probability of being resistant to TKI therapy, based upon an expression level of epithelial membrane protein-1 (EMP-1); one of the genes believed to be responsible for TKI resistance. The methods of the present invention may be particularly useful in the treatment of lung, breast, prostate, ovarian, brain and colon cancers. The methods of the present invention may be effective in blocking the HER-2 kinase domain either in addition to or in lieu of blocking the EGFR kinase domain.