A Phase II Single-Arm Trial Assessing the Use of an Ex Vivo Sensitivity Assay to Predict Response of Relapsed Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients to Erlotinib

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Determine whether the extent of inhibition of ERK phosphorylation in lung cancer cells exposed ex vivo and in vivo to erlotinib hydrochloride significantly differs between responding and nonresponding patients with relapsed, metastatic or unresectable non-small cell lung cancer.

Secondary

• Determine whether the extent of inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and AKT phosphorylation in lung cancer cells exposed ex vivo and in vivo to erlotinib hydrochloride significantly differs between these 2 groups of patients.
• Correlate the extent of inhibition of EGFR, ERK, and AKT phosphorylation in lung cancer cells exposed ex vivo with erlotinib hydrochloride with in vivo objective tumor response to erlotinib hydrochloride in these patients.
• Correlate EGFR gene mutation and amplification status with pharmacodynamic evidence of response to erlotinib hydrochloride in these patients.