Good response to gefitinib for lung adenocarcinoma with hyperamylasemia: a case report

Hyperamylasemia in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma has been reported rarely. Gefitinib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling, has shown activity for treating patients with refractory advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This report describes a case of lung adenocarcinoma coexisting with hyperamylasemia in a 67-year-old man. Abdominal computed tomograhy and ultrasonography demonstrated a normal pancreas. A mutational analysis of the EGFR gene indicated an in-frame deletion at exon 19. He underwent treatment with gefitinib. Chest radiography follow-up showed a partial response and the amylase level also decreased to normal. We suggest that treatment with gefitinib is an effective therapeutic option for this rare patient subset.