Role of Erlotinib in Influencing the Quality of Life of Cancer Patients

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 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Apart from lung cancer, pancreatic cancer is also currently one of the common cancers. 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 patients with pancreatic and lung cancer. Methods: Therapies that target EGFR-mediated signaling 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 signaling pathways, primarily the small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Results: Quality of life (QoL) is one of the key advantages of 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.