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Vol.49 No.4 contents | Japanese/English |
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- Case Report -
Three Cases of Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis from Lung Adenocarcinoma Responding to EGFR TKIs
Yoko Kida1, Akito Hata1, Reiko Kaji1, Keisuke Tomii2, Nobuyuki Katakami1, Kyosuke Ishihara21Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation, Japan, 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kobe City Medical Center General Hospital, Japan
Background. The prognosis for leptomeningeal carcinomatosis from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is poor. The median survival of patients without treatment has been reported to be approximately 4-6 weeks. Cases. We report 3 patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis resulting from lung adenocarcinoma: a 58-year-old woman, a 72-year-old man, and a 68-year-old woman with focal neurological dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brains of these patients revealed leptomeningeal dissemination. The cytology of cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) was positive for malignancy. They responded to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). MRI imaging, and their CSF cytology as well as their neurological signs improved. Their survival time from the onset of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis was 6-14 months. EGFR mutations in the CSF were detected in 2 cases. Detection of EGFR mutations might be useful for predicting response to EGFR-TKIs in patients with NSCLC with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. Conclusion. EGFR-TKIs are attractive treatment options for EGFR mutation-positive NSCLC with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.
key words: Lung cancer, Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, EGFR-TKIs, EGFR mutation
Received: September 29, 2008
Accepted: March 27, 2009
JJLC 49 (4): 461-466, 2009
