Gefitinib is also active for carcinomatous meningitis in NSCLC.
Carcinomatous meningitis (CM) and spinal cord metastases (SCM) are uncommon, yet fatal complication for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gefitinib, developed to inhibit the tyrosine kinase of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), represents the first new treatment modality for NSCLC to emerge from the last decade. Furthermore, it is an attractive option for lung cancer patients with CNS metastasis because of its mild toxicity profile, but there are not much data on the ability of gefitinib to cross the blood-brain barrier. And also, the response of patients with CM and SCM to gefitinib has rarely been reported on. We report here a good response to gefitinib by a heavily pretreated 59-year-old man with CM and SCM.
Kim
Min Kyoung
MK
Department of Internal Medicine, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Namgu, Daegu, South Korea.
Lee
Kyung Hee
KH
Lee
Jae Kyo
JK
Choi
Joon Hyuk
JH
Hyun
Myung Soo
MS
D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000556:secondary; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines; D000077156:Gefitinib