Late fatal recurrence in gefitinib-treated NSCLC patients

Gefitinib is a selective epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which blocks signal transduction pathways implicated in proliferation and survival of cancer cells. Long-term survival in patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) treated with gefitinib has recently been reported. We showed herein two cases of fatal rapid recurrence after a long-term disease control by gefitinib. The biology of fatal aggressive recurrence of gefitinib-treated NSCLC is not well characterized. Regardless of the mechanism, however, physicians treating patients with gefitinib should be alert to the possibility of fatal rapid recurrence after a long-term disease control by this drug.