Late fatal recurrence in gefitinib-treated NSCLC patients.
Gefitinib is a selective epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which blocks signal transduction pathways implicated in proliferation and survival of cancer cells. Long-term survival in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) treated with gefitinib has recently been reported. We showed herein two cases of fatal rapid recurrence after a long-term disease control by gefitinib. The biology of fatal aggressive recurrence of gefitinib-treated NSCLC is not well characterized. Regardless of the mechanism, however, physicians treating patients with gefitinib should be alert to the possibility of fatal rapid recurrence after a long-term disease control by this drug.
Miyazaki
Kunihiko
K
Division of Respiratory Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Japan.
Ano
Tetsushi
T
Nakazawa
Kensuke
K
Satoh
Hiroaki
H
Ohtsuka
Morio
M
D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D000077156:Gefitinib