James Chih-Hsin Yang
楊志新
MD, PhD
Professor and Director, Graduate Institute of Oncology, National Taiwan University; Senior Consultant, Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital国立台湾大学肿瘤学研究所所长、教授；国立台湾大学医学院附设医院肿瘤科高级顾问
👥Biography 个人简介
James Chih-Hsin Yang, MD, PhD is Professor and Director of the Graduate Institute of Oncology at National Taiwan University and Senior Consultant at National Taiwan University Hospital. He is one of Asia's leading authorities on EGFR-targeted therapy and has been the principal investigator for multiple landmark clinical trials that shaped global standards for second-generation EGFR inhibition. Dr. Yang served as the global lead investigator for the LUX-Lung trial series evaluating afatinib — a second-generation irreversible EGFR/HER2/ErbB family blocker — in EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC. LUX-Lung 3 and LUX-Lung 6 established afatinib as superior to platinum-based chemotherapy in EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC in both Western and Asian populations, and importantly, LUX-Lung 7 demonstrated afatinib's superiority over gefitinib in EGFR-mutant NSCLC with superior PFS and response rate — providing the first head-to-head evidence of second- over first-generation EGFR inhibitor benefit. Dr. Yang has also been a leading investigator of uncommon EGFR mutations beyond exon 19 deletions and L858R, characterizing the activity of afatinib across a spectrum of rare EGFR mutations (G719X, S768I, L861Q) and advocating for mutation-specific treatment approaches. He is a past president of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and has authored more than 300 publications.
🧪Research Fields 研究领域
🎓Key Contributions 主要贡献
LUX-Lung Series — Establishing Afatinib in EGFR-Mutant NSCLC
Served as global principal investigator for LUX-Lung 3, 6, and 7, demonstrating that afatinib was superior to platinum-pemetrexed in EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC (PFS: 11.1 vs 6.9 months; LUX-Lung 3), replicating benefit in Asian populations (LUX-Lung 6), and achieving superiority over gefitinib in the head-to-head LUX-Lung 7 comparison.
Uncommon EGFR Mutations and Afatinib Activity
Conducted a landmark pooled analysis (LUX-Lung 2/3/6) demonstrating clinically meaningful afatinib responses in patients with uncommon EGFR mutations including G719X, S768I, and L861Q — mutations previously considered poorly responsive to first-generation inhibitors — establishing the first evidence base for targeted therapy in this population and informing NCCN and ESMO guideline inclusions.
EGFR Mutation Epidemiology and Biology in Taiwanese and Asian Lung Cancer
Led extensive molecular epidemiology studies characterizing EGFR mutation frequency (>50% in Taiwanese adenocarcinoma), mutation spectrum, and clinico-pathological correlates in East Asian lung cancer populations, establishing the epidemiological rationale for population-specific first-line EGFR inhibitor strategies.
IASLC Leadership and International Lung Cancer Standards
Served as President of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), driving initiatives to expand molecular testing access in Asia and low-resource settings, standardize EGFR mutation testing practices, and integrate Asian trial data into global lung cancer treatment guidelines.
Representative Works 代表性著作
Afatinib versus cisplatin-based chemotherapy for EGFR mutation-positive lung adenocarcinoma (LUX-Lung 3 and LUX-Lung 6): analysis of overall survival data from two randomised, phase 3 trials
The Lancet Oncology (2015)
Combined OS analysis of LUX-Lung 3 and 6 demonstrating significant OS advantage for afatinib over chemotherapy in patients with exon 19 deletion EGFR-mutant NSCLC (31.7 vs 20.7 months), with OS benefit limited to the deletion subgroup.
Afatinib versus gefitinib as first-line treatment of patients with EGFR-mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (LUX-Lung 7): a phase 2B, open-label, randomised controlled trial
The Lancet Oncology (2016)
First head-to-head comparison of second- versus first-generation EGFR inhibitors (LUX-Lung 7), demonstrating superior PFS (11.0 vs 10.9 months; HR 0.73), ORR, and time to treatment failure with afatinib over gefitinib in EGFR-mutant NSCLC.
Clinical activity of afatinib in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer harbouring uncommon EGFR mutations: a combined post-hoc analysis of LUX-Lung 2, LUX-Lung 3, and LUX-Lung 6
The Lancet Oncology (2015)
Pooled analysis defining afatinib activity in uncommon EGFR mutations (G719X, S768I, L861Q), with overall ORR of 71.1% — providing the first evidence-based guidance for treatment of this underserved EGFR mutation subgroup.
Osimertinib as first-line treatment in Asian patients with EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC — FLAURA Asia subgroup analysis
Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2019)
Asian subgroup analysis of FLAURA demonstrating consistent benefit of first-line osimertinib over gefitinib/erlotinib in Asian patients with EGFR-mutant advanced NSCLC, confirming the global FLAURA results in this key population.
🏆Awards & Recognition 奖项与荣誉
📄Data Sources 数据来源
Last updated: 2026-04-06 | All information from publicly available academic sources
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