title: Advanced lung adenocarcinoma in an EGFR-positive patient treated with Erlotinib for 52 months.
abstract: The authors present a case of a 53-years-old non-smoker Caucasian female who was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma (stage IA) and underwent surgical resection in 2002. Five years later, the tumor relapsed (stage IV disease) and she initiated chemotherapy with carboplatin, gemcitabine and bevacizumab as a first-line therapy. Despite partial remission after four cycles, this regimen was discontinued due to unacceptable toxicity. In 2008, the disease progressed and the patient was started on Erlotinib as second-line treatment. The patient had a sustained partial remission which she maintains at present - 52 months after initiation of Erlotinib. Molecular testing performed on the primary lung tumor revealed an Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene mutation (deletion in exon 19).
authors.affiliation: Pulmonology Department, Gaia Hospital Centre, Rua Conceição Fernandes s/n, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ivone
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Pulmonology Department, Gaia Hospital Centre, Rua Conceição Fernandes s/n, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
authors.forename: Inês
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ladeira
authors.affiliation: Pulmonology Department, Gaia Hospital Centre, Rua Conceição Fernandes s/n, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Pulmonology Department, Gaia Hospital Centre, Rua Conceição Fernandes s/n, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antunes
authors.affiliation: Pulmonology Department, Gaia Hospital Centre, Rua Conceição Fernandes s/n, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barroso
authors.affiliation: Pulmonology Department, Gaia Hospital Centre, Rua Conceição Fernandes s/n, 4434-502 Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
authors.forename: Bárbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parente
keywords: Epidermal growth factor receptor mutation; Erlotinib; Non-small cell lung cancer; Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors