Severe Ulcerative Esophagitis Induced by Crizotinib Therapy.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Crizotinib is an FDA-approved tyrosine-kinase inhibitor targeting anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
• While esophageal disorders are known side effects, severe events were not observed in initial clinical trials.

Observation:

• A patient developed severe ulcerative esophagitis during crizotinib therapy for ALK-positive NSCLC.
• This adverse event necessitated discontinuation of the treatment.

Findings:

• The patient was successfully re-challenged with crizotinib at a reduced dosage.
• No recurrence of esophageal symptoms was observed after dose reduction, indicating tolerability.

Implications:

• Severe ulcerative esophagitis is a potential, albeit rare, adverse event associated with crizotinib treatment.
• Lowering the crizotinib dose may allow continued therapy in patients who develop esophageal toxicity, preserving treatment benefits.