Preoperative neoadjuvant gefitinib used in the treatment of a nonsmall cell lung cancer patient

Abstract

The epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) has been mainly applied in the second- and third-line treatment of advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but it is rarely used as a neoadjuvant therapy. This article aims to summarize and analyze a relevant case so as to provide some clinical experience for targeted neoadjuvant treatment modalities. A patient with NSCLC received the TKI gefitinib for preoperative neoadjuvant targeted therapy. A 76-year-old female who was given gefitinib for the neoadjuvant treatment was analyzed. The patients' general condition and also gender, age, smoking history, and efficacy of the targeted therapy and associated surgical experience were recorded. After the neoadjuvant treatment, the tumor shrinkage was obvious. At surgery, the surface vascular expansion on the tumor was observed. There was no increase in postoperative complications. The surgical pathology was adenocarcinoma of the lung associated with bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. Neoadjuvant targeted therapy could be a useful clinical treatment in NSCLC.