title: Long-term disease stabilization following treatment with erlotinib in heavily pretreated patients with wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor non-small-cell lung carcinoma: Two case reports.
abstract: Lung adenocarcinomas carrying epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations have been identified as a unique group of entities that depend on EGFR for their proliferation and metastasis. The introduction of reversible EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as erlotinib, has significantly affected the management of metastatic disease in this subset of patients. Interestingly, although erlotinib is highly effective in patients with EGFR mutations, it may occasionally prove useful, even in the absence of mutations. We herein present the course of two heavily pretreated patients who achieved remarkable disease stabilization over several years, despite harbouring no EGFR mutations. Our cases underscore the fact that further research is required to identify which subset of patients will benefit the most from this treatment, as a substantial minority may present with favourable outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, 26504 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Minas
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakellakis
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, 26504 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Angelos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koutras
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, 26504 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pittaka
authors.affiliation: Molecular Biology Diagnostic Center 'Bioiatriki', 11526 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Efstathios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsitsopoulos
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, 26504 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Fotini
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kalofonou
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Patras Medical School, 26504 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Haralabos P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kalofonos
keywords: erlotinib; heavily pretreated; stabilization; tyrosine kinases