Dramatic effect of ZD1839 ('Iressa') in a patient with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and poor performance status.
We describe the case of a 52-year-old Japanese woman with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung, in whom once-daily treatment with 250 mg ZD1839 ('Iressa') demonstrated a marked antitumour effect. She had initially achieved a partial response with cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy, but had subsequently progressed and had failed to respond to salvage chemotherapy. She had also received whole-brain irradiation for brain metastases. On admission, the patient was confined to bed due to dyspnoea and had rapidly progressing hypoxia secondary to lymphangitis carcinomatosa and a massive right pleural effusion. She was treated with oxygen supplementation and oral ZD1839, which, within a week, led to marked tumour regression and gradually improving dyspnoea. The main adverse event observed was a grade 2 rash. A month after starting ZD1839 treatment, the patient was discharged without the need for oxygen supplementation and had since returned to full-time work. This is a demonstration of ZD1839 producing a dramatic clinical response when administered to a patient with poor performance status who had received extensive prior treatment with cytotoxic agents.'Iressa' is a trademark of the AstraZeneca group of companies.
Fujiwara
Keiichi
K
Department of Internal Medicine II, Okayama University Medical School, 2-5-1 Shikatacho, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan. keiich@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
Kiura
Katsuyuki
K
Ueoka
Hiroshi
H
Tabata
Masahiro
M
Hamasaki
Shuji
S
Tanimoto
Mitsune
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D043823:Taxoids; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D000077146:Irinotecan; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D000077156:Gefitinib; D002166:Camptothecin