[Efficacy of gefitinib (Iressa) in the treatment of an inoperable bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma].
BACKGROUND
Bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma (BAC) is a rare bronchial tumour. At present the only curative treatment is surgery and inoperable cases are often resistant to radio and chemotherapy.


METHODS
A 76 year old woman was treated surgically for a BAC, stage T2N0M0. Three months later she presented with cough and dyspnoea. Investigation revealed recurrence of the disease with bilateral pulmonarymetastases. She then received two courses of chemotherapy leading, at best, to stabilisation of the disease. At that time the treatment decision was simple observation. Six months later when there was progression of the bilateral lesions treatment was initiated with gefitinib 250 mg daily. This lead to rapid improvement in the clinical symptoms and the chest x-ray and CT scan showed evidence of a partial response that persisted one year after the beginning of treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
This observation describes the effect of gefitinib in the treatment of inoperable BAC for which there is, at present, no effective therapy.
Bayle
S
S
Unité d'Oncologie Thoracique, Institut de Cancérologie et d'Hématologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Morvan, Brest, France. sophie.bayle@chu-brest.fr
Descourt
R
R
Gouva
S
S
Daniel
C
C
Robinet
G
G
D002282:Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D000077156:Gefitinib