Tyrosine kinase inhibitors for solid tumors in the past 20 years (2001–2020)

Tyrosine kinases are implicated in tumorigenesis and progression, and have emerged as major targets for drug discovery. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) inhibit corresponding kinases from phosphorylating tyrosine residues of their substrates and then block the activation of downstream signaling pathways. Over the past 20 years, multiple robust and well-tolerated TKIs with single or multiple targets including EGFR, ALK, ROS1, HER2, NTRK, VEGFR, RET, MET, MEK, FGFR, PDGFR, and KIT have been developed, contributing to the realization of precision cancer medicine based on individual patient’s genetic alteration features. TKIs have dramatically improved patients’ survival and quality of life, and shifted treatment paradigm of various solid tumors. In this article, we summarized the developing history of TKIs for treatment of solid tumors, aiming to provide up-to-date evidence for clinical decision-making and insight for future studies.