Long-term survival in three patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer treated with gefitinib.
Gefitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), produces radiographic regression and symptom relief in patients with refractory advanced non-small cell lung cancer. However, it remains controversial whether gefitinib improves patient survival. We report three cases of refractory metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who have survived approximately 3 years since they first started gefitinib. These long-term survivors were Japanese female non-smokers with adenocarcinoma, who often had multiple lung metastases and were effectively re-treated with gefitinib. One patient had a surgical specimen available for DNA extraction and showed deletions in exon 19 of EGFR. Our experience suggests that gefitinib may improve long-term survival in selected patients. Further studies are required to identify biomarkers downstream of the EGFR mutations that are involved in multiple lung metastases and which could identify those patients who may benefit from gefitinib re-treatment.
Internal Medicine, Nagasaki Prefectural Shimabara Hospital, Shimabara 855-0861, Japan.
Katsumi
K
Nakatomi
Hiroshi
H
Soda
Takeshi
T
Kitazaki
Hirofumi
H
Nakano
Kanako
K
Uchida
Sou
S
Urabe
Yoichi
Y
Nakamura
Tomayoshi
T
Hayashi
Kazuhiro
K
Tsukamoto
Shigeru
S
Kohno
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000556:secondary; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D000077156:Gefitinib