Interstitial lung disease is a well-known pulmonary adverse event that occurs during epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy and results in restrictive ventilatory dysfunction. However, obstructive changes such as those associated with bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) have never been reported as adverse events resulting from the use of any approved EGFR-TKI. This report documents an autopsy case of BO that developed during afatinib treatment for adenocarcinoma of the lung. Knowledge of the possibility of this fatal adverse event is important for adequate follow-up of patients with lung cancer undergoing afatinib treatment.
Keywords: Afatinib; Bronchiolitis obliterans; Epidermal growth factor receptor; Obstructive; Tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Respiratory Society. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.