The latest therapeutic strategies after resistance to first generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

First-generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs), gefitinib and erlotinib, produce reliable responses and survival benefits in selected patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Unfortunately, most patients who initially respond to first-line therapy with EGFR TKIs will experience disease progression in 1-2 years. To overcome the resistance of EGFR TKIs, the potent resistance mechanisms and novel therapeutic strategies have been developed. T790M mutation and activation of bypass signaling pathway are identified the predominant mechanisms of acquired resistance to TKIs. Several approaches have shown promise, such as next-generation EGFR TKIs, immunotherapy, and combinational therapies. And the limited clinical data suggest that all drugs are acceptable safe. Additionally, this review will also focus on the increasingly importance of re-biopsy at the time of disease progression, and the matching effective therapies is related to the identification of specific molecular types of tumors.