Treatment of EGFR positive lung adenocarcinoma in a heart transplanted patient

• Main Authors: Ana Hecimovic, Andrea Vukic Dugac, Mateja Jankovic Makek, Maja Cikes, Miroslav Samarzija, Marko Jakopovic
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PAGEPress Publications 2019-05-01
• Series: Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease
• Subjects: lung cancer; EGFR mutation; heart transplantation; tyrosine kinase inhibitor; erlotinib
• Online Access: https://monaldi-archives.org/index.php/macd/article/view/1023

Lung cancer incidence in heart transplant patients is higher than in general population and correlates with smoking history. EGFR-mutations are more frequent in adenocarcinoma and among non-smoking women but incidence in solid organ transplanted patients is still not known. We present case of a 65-year-old ex-smoker male with history of heart transplantation and EGFR positive metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. At admission he was in a severe clinical condition and treatment with erlotinib was started. Initially he had good clinical and radiologic response to treatment with only grade 1 side effects.  Data about drug interactions between cyclosporine and erlotinib are insufficient but we have to take this interaction into consideration during treatment because both drugs are substrates and inhibitors of CYP34A. In our case erlotinib was safe and well tolerated drug, there were no relevant toxicity, but close monitoring and dose reduction of cyclosporine was needed.