Analysis of whether crizotinib (Xalkori) is the last hope for patients and its clinical choice

Crizotinib is a small molecule targeted inhibitor for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are positive for ALK or ROS1 gene rearrangement. For patients carrying these gene mutations, crizotinib provides a precise and effective treatment approach, with faster tumor shrinkage and higher overall response rate than traditional chemotherapy. Therefore, in patients whose genetic testing clearly shows that ALK or ROS1 is positive, crizotinib is often regarded as a first-line or early targeted treatment option, not just a "last hope".

In clinical practice, the use value of crizotinib is closely related to the patient’s previous treatment history. It can significantly improve disease progression and quality of life in newly diagnosed patients who have not received targeted therapy. For patients who have received multiple lines of chemotherapy or who have failed other BTK inhibitors, crizotinib may still bring effective disease control and symptom relief. Therefore, it may indeed become the "last hope" option in some refractory patients, but this only applies to cases with specific gene mutations and limited other treatment options.

It should be noted that crizotinib is not suitable for all lung cancer patients, and its efficacy depends on accurate genetic testing results. During clinical selection, doctors usually evaluate whether to use crizotinib based on the patient's genetic mutation type, disease stage, previous treatment response, and tolerability. At the same time, for patients with tumors accompanied by brain metastasis or other organ dysfunction, the treatment plan may need to be combined with radiotherapy or other targeted drugs to achieve optimal efficacy.

Overall, crizotinib (Crizotinib) is an important targeted therapy option in patients with ALK or ROS1 positive non-small cell lung cancer. It may become an effective treatment option of last resort for some patients who are refractory or who have failed multiple lines of therapy, but for most gene-positive patients it should be considered a priority over standard targeted therapy. In clinical decision-making, doctors will combine the patient's condition and treatment goals to ensure that drug application is both scientific and safe, and to achieve a balance between optimal efficacy and quality of life.

Keyword tags: crizotinib, targeted therapy, genetic testing, refractory lung cancer, clinical selection

Reference:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crizotinib