Erlotinib in non-small cell lung cancer's second line treatment. Clinical case

Male, of 58 years, caucasian, construction worker, non smoker, with depressive syndrome, biliary lithiasis, renal cysts, surgery for benign intestinal polyps and relevant familiar history - aunt with lung cancer and mother with colon cancer. He initiated thorax pain and vomitting and made a chest x-ray, showing a right basal lung mass. During the etiologic study, he was submitted to thoracotomy with biopsy, in April 2006 - "fine granulations, spread for all the pulmonary field", allowing the diagnosis - adenosquamous lung carcinoma, stage IV (16/05/2006). He initiated citostatic treatment with vinorelbine-carboplatin in 02/06/2006, with haematological toxicity and later with neurological toxicity. At that time, he passed to second line treatment with erlotinib, that it was initiated in 11/06/2007, without significant secondary effects. Patient developed trigemic nerve pain, in October/2007, which subsequent study disclosed right esfenopetroclival meningioma, treated with radiosurgery. Later he presented cerebral metastization and erlotinib was discontinued in 09/06/2008. He was submitted to neuroradiosurgery. Now is under symptom support care. Rev Port Pneumol 2008; XIV (Supl 3): S79-S82.