[Non-small cell lung cancer with liver metastasis responsive to gemcitabine--a case report]

A 56-year-old male patient underwent a right upper lobectomy and lymph node dissection for non-small cell lung cancer in March 1994. Multiple lung metastases in the right lung were found 45 months after the operation, and chemotherapy with docetaxel was administered. A liver metastasis was detected 11 months later, and it was refractory to docetaxel. Therefore, the patient was treated with cisplatin, mitomycin C and vinorelbine, which resulted in no change to the liver metastasis. He was next treated with gemcitabine, which resulted in a partial response of the liver metastasis. The adverse effects of gemcitabine were Grade 3 thrombocytopenia and Grade 2 neutropenia. The response duration for gemcitabine therapy was three months.