Second line erlotinib therapy in a non-smoking patient with metastatic non-small-cel lung cancer harbouring EGFR mutation
Abstract
The majority of non small cel lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are diagnosed with locally advanced or metastatic disease. Randomised trials have shown that in a selected group of patients with advanced NSCLC, molecularly targeted therapies prolong the progression-free survival time compared to chemotherapy, with favorable toxicity profile and patients’ better quality of life. Gefitinib and erlotinib — small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) can be used in clinical practice in the first line treatment of patients with metastatic NSCLC with activating mutation in the EGFR gene, and after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. We present a case of erlotinib therapy in non-smoking patient diagnosed with metastatic NSCLC with EGFR activating mutation, after first-line palliative chemotherapy failure.
Keywords: nonsmall cell lung cancermolecularly targeted therapyerlotinibEGFR activating mutations