Efficacy of Afatinib in a Previously-Treated Patient with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Harboring HER2 Mutation: Case Report

J Korean Med Sci. 2018 Jan 1;33(1):e7. doi: 10.3346/jkms.2018.33.e7.

Abstract

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) mutation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is an oncogenic driver that possibly becomes a druggable target to HER2-targeted therapy. The benefit of HER2-targeted therapy is much less defined especially in eastern populations. We provide evidence of clinical benefit of afatinib in a 50-year-old Asian woman with HER2-mutant NSCLC who previously failed cytotoxic chemotherapy and gefitinib treatment. Next-generation sequencing of the tumor tissue revealed a HER2 exon 20 mutation (c.2437A>G), which has never been reported. The patient was treated with afatinib for more than four months. She showed rapid radiologic response within a month, and maintained stable state until the last dose of afatinib.

Keywords: Afatinib; HER2 mutation; Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Afatinib
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / drug therapy*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / genetics
  • Exons
  • Female
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation
  • Quinazolines / therapeutic use*
  • Radiation-Sensitizing Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics*
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Quinazolines
  • Radiation-Sensitizing Agents
  • Afatinib
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2