title: Brain metastasis responding to gefitinib alone.
abstract: A woman with stage IIIb non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) developed disease progression with brain metastases during chemotherapy. Due to unusual circumstances, the patient received gefitinib alone, without the use of corticosteroid treatment or radiotherapy. There was a dramatic clinical improvement within 1 week. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging of the brain 1 month later showed decreases in both the size and number of brain metastases. The patient remains well 9 months after initiation of gefitinib. It is proposed that gefitinib may have a role in treatment of brain metastases from NSCLC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Annette N Y
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Poon
authors.forename: Simon S M
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Winnie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yeo
authors.forename: Tony S K
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Mok
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000556:secondary; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D005887:Gingival Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000077156:Gefitinib