An Autopsy Case of Two Distinct, Acquired Drug Resistance Mechanisms in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma: Small Cell Carcinoma Transformation and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor T790M Mutation

Intern Med. 2015;54(19):2491-6. doi: 10.2169/internalmedicine.54.5481. Epub 2015 Oct 1.

Abstract

We herein describe the case of a 63-year-old man who died from relapsed epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR) exon 19 deletion lung adenocarcinoma treated with erlotinib. According to the autopsy results, he was confirmed to have small cell carcinoma without the EGFR T790M mutation in his pancreas and left kidney metastatic specimens, while the adenocarcinoma metastatic lesion in his right kidney had the EGFR T790M mutation; both retained the somatic EGFR exon 19 deletion. We herein report an autopsy case of resistance to an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor via small cell carcinoma transformation and the EGFRT790M mutation in separate metastatic organs.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / genetics
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology*
  • Adenocarcinoma of Lung
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Autopsy
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Small Cell / pathology*
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / drug effects
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics*
  • Erlotinib Hydrochloride
  • Gene Deletion
  • Genes, erbB-1 / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation / genetics

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Erlotinib Hydrochloride
  • EGFR protein, human
  • ErbB Receptors