Figure 6.

Our current view for indication of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in Japanese patients with lung cancer. Numbers in each patient subset indicate response rate or incidence of interstitial lung disease (ILD). For example, when a patient is female with activating EGFR mutation, TKI can be used from the first line therapy (a). If the risk of ILD is estimated to be low, even when the patient does not have EGFR mutation, TKI can be used somewhere in the clinical course, considering the imperfect ability of predictive power of EGFR mutation (b). In contrast, when a male patient with a heavy smoking history and with pre‐existing ILD does not harbor EGFR mutation, there is no indication for EGFR‐TKI (c). It is most difficult when patients with high risk harbor the EGFR mutation. In this case, indication should be considered on individual basis (d).