Background::
Cancer is one of the significant causes of morbidity and mortality in patients globally. Lung cancer,
among other cancers, remains to be one of the principal causes of deaths in both men and women. The most common
type of lung cancer is the non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Apart from lung cancer, pancreatic cancer is also one of
the common cancers currently.
Objective::
The assessment of QoL in erlotinib-treated patients can also prove to be very useful in the establishment of this
drug as the main treatment option for the patients with pancreatic and lung cancer.
Methods::
Therapies that target EGFR-mediated signalling are the latest keystones for treating these two types of cancers.
They comprise of two main treatment modalities: firstly, against the extracellular fields, that include monoclonal antibodies
and secondly, mechanisms that create interferences in the signalling pathways, primarily the small molecule tyrosine
kinase inhibitors.
Results::
Quality of life (QoL) is one of the key advantages in erlotinib therapy over chemotherapy.
Conclusion::
The present review reports the role of erlotinib in improving the quality of life of cancer patients especially
in NSCLC and pancreatic cancers. The studies or trials establishing the relations between erlotinib and QoL are discussed
in detail in this review.
Psychological distress and quality of life in lung cancer: the role of health‐related stigma, illness appraisals and social constraints