Efficacy and acquired resistance of EGFR-TKI combined with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for Chinese patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer in a real-world setting

Abstract Background To compare the benefits and explore the cause of acquired resistance of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) and its combination with chemotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring EGFR mutation in a real-life setting. Methods This retrospective analysis included 117 advanced NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation who underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) prior to treatment. The combination group included 50 patients who received the regimen of EGFR-TKI combined with chemotherapy, while the EGFR-TKI monotherapy group included 67 patients treated with TKI only. The primary endpoint of this study was progression-free survival (PFS); the secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), response rate, and toxicity. Results The median PFS was significantly longer in the combination group than in the EGFR-TKI monotherapy group (19.00 months [95% CI, 14.67–23.33] vs. 11.70 months [95% CI, 10.81–12.59], p