A case report of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with long-term survival for over 11 years

Rationale: This is the first known report in the English literature to describe a case of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer that has been controlled for>11 years. Patient concerns: A 71-year-old man visited our hospital because of dry cough. Diagnosis: Chest computed tomography revealed a tumor on the left lower lobe with pleural effusion, and thoracic puncture cytology indicated lung adenocarcinoma. Interventions: Four cycles of carboplatin and docetaxel chemotherapy reduced the size of the tumor; however, it increased in size after 8 months, and re-challenge chemotherapy (RC) with the same drugs was performed. Repeated RC controlled disease activity for 6 years. After the patient failed to respond to RC, erlotinib was administered for 3 years while repeating a treatment holiday to reduce side effects. The disease progressed, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation analysis of cells from the pleural effusion detected the T790 M mutation. Therefore, osimertinib was administered, which has been effective for>1 year. Outcomes: The patient has survived for>11 years since the diagnosis of lung cancer. Lessons: Long-term survival may be implemented by actively repeating cytotoxic chemotherapy and EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor administration.
Source: Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Tags: Research Article: Clinical Case Report Source Type: research