Clinically beneficial continued treatment with gefitinib after asymptomatic progression of lung adenocarcinoma

Abstract

We report a case showing the long-term clinical benefit of the continued use of gefitinib in a patient with asymptomatic progression of lung adenocarcinoma harboring an exon 19 deletion of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene. Although follow-up studies showed smoldering progression of metastatic lesions, continued treatment with gefitinib controlled pulmonary adenocarcinoma for more than six years.