Successful treatment with erlotinib after gefitinib-induced interstitial lung disease: a case report and literature review.

Abstract

Gefitinib and erlotinib, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), are widely used anticancer drugs for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially for those with EGFR-activating mutations. Both agents are considered to be less toxic compared with cytotoxic drugs; however, serious adverse events including interstitial lung disease (ILD) which can be fatal occur rarely. After such an event, physicians avoid to use another TKI. In such cases, patients and physicians are forced to make difficult decisions or reluctantly choose TKI when there is no other option. Here we report a case of a patient with lung adenocarcinoma who showed good recovery from gefitinib-induced ILD by high-dose corticosteroid therapy. The patient was then administrated erlotinib as second-line chemotherapy and showed tumor shrinkage without ILD after 6 months of treatment. We discuss the common features of the cases in the previous documentations and ours which were successfully retreated with erlotinib after gefitinib-induced ILD had previously developed.

• Authors: Yasuko Koma, Hirofumi Matsuoka, Harukazu Yoshimatsu, Yujiro Suzuki
• Journal: International journal of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther) Vol. 50 Issue 10 Pg. 760-4 (Oct 2012) ISSN: 0946-1965 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 22853866 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Protein Kinase Inhibitors
• Quinazolines
• Erlotinib Hydrochloride
• Gefitinib

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (drug therapy)
• Erlotinib Hydrochloride
• Gefitinib
• Humans
• Lung Diseases, Interstitial (chemically induced)
• Lung Neoplasms (drug therapy)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Protein Kinase Inhibitors (therapeutic use)
• Quinazolines (adverse effects, therapeutic use)