PURPOSE: To report the corneal superficial punctate keratoepitheliopathy in 2 patients taking the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, erlotinib and lapatinib, respectively. CASE SUMMARY: Case 1, who received erlotinib, showed trichomegaly without touching the cornea and diffuse punctate keratoepitheliopathy. Corneal epitheliopathy and the corresponding symptoms resolved after discontinuation of the drug then recurred with reapplication. Case 2 presented diffuse corneal punctate epithelial erosions that developed without any cilia involvement after the patient was administered lapatinib. The visual acuity of both patients was not severely diminished and keratoepitheliopathy was mostly resolved with the treatment of preservative-free artificial tears and autologous serum eye drops. CONCLUSIONS: Erlotinib and lapatinib are both likely to cause visually tolerable corneal punctate keratoepitheliopathy which can be resolved with appropriate topical treatment.
Cilia ; Cornea ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Humans ; Ophthalmic Solutions ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Visual Acuity ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) is a rare condition that is characterized by multiple subserosal and submucosal gas-filled areas in the bowel wall. Gastric pneumatosis describes the presence of gas within the stomach wall. This is caused by a disruption in gastric mucosa leading to the dissection of air into the wall. The extract cause of PI is still unknown; however, it may be associated with coexisting disease. Gastric PI has been rarely documented. So, we report on a 75-year-old man with acute gastric pneumatosis following his palliative chemotherapy. He underwent 3rd cycle of gemcitabine and erlotinib 3 weeks prior to admission. The treatment was started with nasogastric tube insertion and parenteral nutrition. Then, gastric pneumatosis was improved. However, the patient was died because of worsening underline disease and general condition. We suggest that chemotherapy should be considered the case of pneumatosis and careful X-ray interpretation will be necessary for detecting the pneumatosis earlier.
Aged ; Drug Therapy ; Gastric Mucosa ; Humans ; Pancreatic Neoplasms* ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Stomach ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride

Erlotinib (Tarceva(R)) has been considered to be a new, promising oral chemotherapy agent for local advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Erlotinib is regarded as relatively safe, but interstitial lung disease (ILD) related to erlotinib has been reported on an infrequent basis in Asia. We report an histologically confirmed case of recurrent erlotinib-induced ILD. Although, the patient was highly responsive to the first erlotinib treatment, the therapy was discontinued due to erlotinib-induced ILD. After intravenous high dose methylpredinisolone treatment, ILD was improved rapidly by radiologic studies, but the particular lung cancer re-emerged. We restarted the patient erlotinib on low-dose oral methylpredinisolone, resulting in a recurrence of erlotinib-induced ILD. Our case suggests that re-administration of erlotinib should be performed on a limited basis in patients that have developed ILD on previous use, even if a therapeutic effect can be estimated.
Asia ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Humans ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Lung Neoplasms ; Quinazolines ; Recurrence ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride

Erlotinib (Tarceva(R)) has been considered to be a new, promising oral chemotherapy agent for local advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Erlotinib is regarded as relatively safe, but interstitial lung disease (ILD) related to erlotinib has been reported on an infrequent basis in Asia. We report an histologically confirmed case of recurrent erlotinib-induced ILD. Although, the patient was highly responsive to the first erlotinib treatment, the therapy was discontinued due to erlotinib-induced ILD. After intravenous high dose methylpredinisolone treatment, ILD was improved rapidly by radiologic studies, but the particular lung cancer re-emerged. We restarted the patient erlotinib on low-dose oral methylpredinisolone, resulting in a recurrence of erlotinib-induced ILD. Our case suggests that re-administration of erlotinib should be performed on a limited basis in patients that have developed ILD on previous use, even if a therapeutic effect can be estimated.
Asia ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Humans ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; Lung Neoplasms ; Quinazolines ; Recurrence ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride

Spontaneous pneumothorax (SPTx) associated with primary lung cancer is quite rare, but has been reported as the initial presentation or a complication of disease progression. Moreover, chemotherapy-related SPTx in primary lung cancer occurs at a very low frequency, accounting for less than 0.05% of all cases. Here, we report the first case of erlotinib-related SPTx in a patient with advanced lung adenocarcinoma in Korea. After 3 cycles of cisplatin-based chemotherapy as first-line therapy, erlotinib was administered as second-line treatment. Asymptomatic SPTx accompanied by a significant decrease in tumor size was observed in the left lung 7 weeks later. The patient received continuous administration of erlotinib, without additional treatment. This case showed that SPTx can occur in patients with primary lung cancer receiving erlotinib, and asymptomatic chemotherapy-related SPTx in primary lung cancer may not require therapeutic intervention.
Accounting ; Adenocarcinoma ; Disease Progression ; Humans ; Korea ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Pneumothorax ; Quinazolines ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride

A patient with adenocarcinoma of the lung was treated sequentially using two kinds of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, gefitinib and erlotinib. The patient was a 73-year-old female who received gefitinib as a second line treatment, which resulted in a partial response with response duration of 6 months. After progression of the disease, the patient received erlotinib, which resulted in partial response again with response duration of 11.5 months. This observation suggests that treatment with erlotinib may be effective in patients who develop progressive disease after a primary treatment with gefitinib following an initial response.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride

BACKGROUND: Gefitinib and erlotinib are useful, molecular targeted agents in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who failed previous chemotherapy. We compared the efficacy and toxicity of two drugs in patients with squamous cell lung cancer, most of whom are male smokers. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical information on patients with NSCLC who were treated with gefitinib or erlotinib treatment at Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital between July 2002 and November 2009. The overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between the two drugs. RESULTS: A total of 182 (100 gefitinib vs. 82 erlotinib) of 584 patients treated by targeted agents had squamous histology. Of the 182 patients, 167 (91.7%) were male and 159 (87.4%) were smokers. The ORR and disease control rate (DCR) were 4.9% and 40.6%, and there was no significant difference between gefitinib and erlotinib (ORR, 5.0% vs 4.8%; p=0.970; DCR, 40.0% vs 41.4%; p=0.439). The median OS in the gefitinib group was 12.1 months, and that in the erlotinib was 12.7 months (hazard ratio [HR], 1.282; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.771~2.134; p=0.339). The median PFS for the gefitinib group was 1.40 months, compared with 1.37 months for the erlotinib group (HR, 1.092; 95% CI, 0.809~1.474; p=0.564). Skin rash > or =grade 3 was more common in erlotinib (12.2%) than gefitinib (1.0%, p=0.003) groups. CONCLUSION: This retrospective study showed that the two drugs appear to have similar antitumor efficacy and toxicity except for skin rash.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Disease-Free Survival ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Quinazolines ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride

PURPOSE: Corneal perforation from phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis is rarely reported worldwide and no case has been reported in Korea. We report a case of corneal perforation in a patient with phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis along with a literature review. CASE SUMMARY: A 15-year-old female presented to our clinic with repetitive tears, conjunctival injection, and discomfort in her right eye for several months. Slit-lamp examination revealed oily plugs at the meibomian gland orifices with collarettes, conjunctival injection and a round, whitish elevated lesion accompanying neovascularization of the inferotemporal side of the cornea. As an initial treatment, topical antibiotic was given but no signs of improvement were observed. Hence, topical steroid was applied on suspicion of phlyctenular keratitis and the patient's symptoms and corneal lesion improved. Two months later, the patient's symptoms relapsed and the lesion was found progressing towards the central cornea. The treatment was restarted and the symptoms improved but the corneal lesion continuously progressed towards the center, thinning the central cornea. Seventeen months from the time of initial diagnosis, the patient revisited prior to the scheduled appointment complaining of abrupt tears in her right eye. Slit-lamp examination revealed a corneal perforation at the center of the thinned cornea. Hence, we performed an emergent tectonic corneal patch graft. After the operation, opacity remained covering the visual axis at the central cornea, thus penetrating keratoplasty was performed 10 months later. Henceforth, the patient has remained free of symptoms and visual acuity has been recovered. CONCLUSIONS: Usually phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis responds well to treatment and does not have a significant influence on vision. However, occasionally phlyctenular keratoconjunctivitis may not respond to treatment and may spread to the central cornea causing loss of visual acuity and even corneal perforation in rare occasions. Therefore, in order to prevent such complications, prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential.
Adolescent ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride ; Blepharitis ; Cornea ; Corneal Perforation* ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Keratitis* ; Keratoconjunctivitis ; Keratoplasty, Penetrating ; Korea ; Meibomian Glands ; Transplants ; Visual Acuity

Although failure of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKI) is generally believed to be associated with cross-resistance to other EGFR TKI, the benefit of administering erlotinib as a second EGFR TKI after resistance of gefitinib as the first TKI has been well known. However, good response to gefitinib after an initial response to erlotinib has been rare. We report that a 45-year-old woman (never smoked), with lung adenocarcinoma and EGFR mutation, showed an initial response to erlotinib, and then responded to gefitinib again.
Adenocarcinoma ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Middle Aged ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Quinazolines ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. There are significant gender differences in lung cancer: most females with lung cancer are non-smokers and they are diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are more effective in female lung cancer patients, but the results with gefitinib and erlotinib differ. This study compared the therapeutic response and toxicity of gefitinib and erlotinib in female lung cancer patients. Method: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical information on patients treated with gefitinib or erlotinib for more than one month at Kosin University Gospel Hospital from February 2004 to November 2007. RESULTS: Forty-two patients (26 gefitinib vs. 16 erlotinib) were enrolled during this period. Their median age was 58 years. Thirty-six patients (85%) were non-smokers and 35 patients (83%) had adenocarcinoma. There were 24% at stage IIIb and 76% at stage IV. The median survival time was 793 days. In the gefitinib group, 69% of the patients received 3rd-line chemotherapy, while 12 of 16 (87.5%) in the erlotinib group received 2nd-line chemotherapy. There were no significant differences in the overall response rate (gefitinib 39% vs. erlotinib 31%, p=0.524), median survival time (gefitinib 605 days vs. erlotinib 510 days, p=0.455), and time to progression (gefitinib 186 days vs. erlotinib 262 days, p=0.660). Rashes were more common in the erlotinib group (73.3% vs. 27%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in the response rate, overall survival, and time to progression between the two groups. Rashes were more common in the erlotinib group.
Adenocarcinoma ; Exanthema ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; Quinazolines ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Retrospective Studies ; Erlotinib Hydrochloride