Is dacomitinib/dacomitinib a systemic treatment?

Dacomitinib has been approved for patients with non-small cell lung cancer harboring classic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations; however, clinical evidence of its activity against predominantly rare EGFR mutations is currently limited. It falls under the category of systemic therapy because it blocks the growth and spread of tumors by inhibiting specific tyrosine kinases in tumor cells. Non-small cell lung cancer is a common cancer type, and dacomitinib is one of the effective treatments for this cancer type.

Dacomitinib is a potent, irreversible, highly selective2G EGFR-TKI that inhibits signaling from heterodimers and homodimers of all members of the human EGFR family. In the ARCHER 1050 trial, the progression-free survival (PFS) advantage of dacomitinib was significantly better than that of gefitinib, which provides a basis for its use as a standard first-line regimen for patients with late-stage disease. A case series of 14 patients showed that dacomitinib was also effective against central nervous system (CNS) metastases in positive patients. In addition, dacomitinib has potential use in patients carrying rare mutations.

Dacomitinib inhibits tumor growth and spread by interfering with signaling pathways in tumor cells. It selectively inhibits epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family of kinases, which play important roles in many cancer types. Overactivity of EGFR in non-small cell lung cancer is closely related to tumor growth and metastasis. By inhibiting these kinases, dacomitinib can slow or stop tumor growth, thereby extending patients' survival and improving their quality of life.