A patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was successfully treated with icotinib. The tumor relapsed after a partial response and the patient was retreated with icotinib after temporary cessation. Surprisingly we found that the tumor responded to icotinib again. The exact mechanism of this phenomenon is still unclear. A better understanding of the biological basis of involved events will help us to improve treatment of advanced NSCLC.
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2.
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7.
YanoS., NakatakiE., OhtsukaS., InayamaM., TomimotoH., EdakuniN., KakiuchiS., NishikuboN., MugurumaH., SoneS.: Retreatment of lung adenocarcinoma patients with gefitinib who had experienced favorable results from their initial treatment with this selective epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor: a report of three cases.Oncol Res, 15: 107–111, 2005.
8.
YokouchiH., YamazakiK., KinoshitaI., KonishiJ., AsahinaH., SukohN., HaradaM., AkieK., OguraS., IshidaT., MunakataM., Dosaka-AkitaH., IsobeH., NishimuraM.: Clinical benefit of readministration of gefitinib for initial gefitinib-responders with non-small cell lung cancer.BMC Cancer, 7: 51, 2007.
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YoshimotoA., InuzukaK., KitaT., KawashimaA., KasaharaK.: Remarkable effect of gefitinib retreatment in a patient with nonsmall cell lung cancer who had a complete response to initial gefitinib.Am J Med Sci, 333: 221–225, 2007.
10.
BeckerA., CrombagL., HeidemanD.A., ThunnissenF.B., van WijkA.W., PostmusP.E., SmitE.F.: Retreatment with erlotinib: regain of TKI sensitivity following a drug holiday for patients with NSCLC who initially responded to EGFR-TKI treatment.Eur J Cancer, 47: 2603–2606, 2011.
11.
WatanabeS., TanakaJ., OtaT., KondoR., TanakaH., KagamuH., IchikawaK., KoshioJ., BabaJ., MiyabayashiT., NaritaI., YoshizawaH.: Clinical responses to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor retreatment in non-small cell lung cancer patients who benefited from prior effective gefitinib therapy: a retrospective analysis.BMC Cancer, 11: 1, 2011.
12.
OhI.J., BanH.J., KimK.S., KimY.C.: Retreatment of gefitinib in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer who previously controlled to gefitinib: a single-arm, open-label, phase II study.Lung Cancer, 77: 121–127, 2012.
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BaiH., WangZ., ChenK., ZhaoJ., LeeJ.J., WangS., ZhouQ., ZhuoM., MaoL., AnT., DuanJ., YangL., WuM., LiangZ., WangY., KangX., WangJ.: Influence of chemotherapy on EGFR mutation status among patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.J Clin Oncol, 30: 3077–3083, 2012.
