What is tarceva (erlotinib)?

Targeted therapy: It is a targeted therapy. It is an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor pill that targets part of the egfr pathway. Recently we have learned that there a several gene mutations that are found in lung cancer. If a patient has a mutation of the egfr system that their lung cancer developed, this drug can be more effective than chemotherapy in controlling their cancer.

Erlotinib: Technical: inhibitor of the thyrosine kinase activity of egfr. King's english: oral medication in the category of targeted therapies that interferes with the molecular mechanisms that make cancer cells grow. The idea is to cause damage to the cancer cell with minimal collateral damage to normal cells. Currently approved for treatment of lung cancer and pancreatic cancer too if i'm not mistaken.