China experts consensus on icotinib for non-small cell lung cancer treatment (2015 version).

Abstract

According to Chinese Cancer Registry Annual Report in 2011, the incidence rate of lung cancer was 48.32/100,000 and the mortality rate was 39.27/100,000 in China in 2011, being the highest among all cancers (1). Most patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which accounts for 85% of all lung cancers have entered the advanced stage at the first visit to hospital and thus missed the opportunity for surgery. As the main treatment for advanced NSCLC, chemotherapy has reached a plateau in its efficacy and has been restricted in clinical application due to adverse reactions. In recent years, epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), thanks to their definite efficacy, mild adverse reaction and convenience for oral use, have broken the bottleneck of traditional chemotherapeutic drugs and become an essential treatment for advanced NSCLC.