SMALL MOLECULE TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITORS. Erlotinib. MI/
ischemia was reported in 2.3% of patients who received
erlotinib 100 mg/day with gemcitabine, compared with that
seen in 1.2% of patients who received gemcitabine alone, for
the treatment of pancreatic cancer (10). The manufacturer
obtained these results in a trial conducted by Moore et al. (95);
however, the incidence of thromboembolism was not
published.
Sorafenib. Approximately 3% of patients in clinical trials
have experienced myocardial ischemia with sorafenib. In an
unpublished clinical trial, MI/ischemia occurred among
2.7% of hepatocellular cancer patients treated with sorafenib
compared with 1.3% of patients in the placebo group (10).
Similarly, sorafenib was associated with a higher incidence
of MI/ischemia compared with placebo among patients
treated for renal cell carcinoma (3% vs. 1%) (96).