[A Case of Multiple Brain Tumors Successfully Diagnosed with Liquid Biopsy and Treated with Osimertinib]

Gan To Kagaku Ryoho. 2021 May;48(5):677-679.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

A seventy‒year‒old man complaining of left arm weakness and gait disturbance was diagnosed with multiple tumors and severe edema in the brain as well as right lung mass lesion, suggesting brain metastases. He started whole brain radiation therapy but had to discontinue it since his neurological symptoms were worsened including paralysis, aphasia, and coma. These symptoms made it difficult to perform tumor biopsy for cancer diagnosis as well as oncogene mutations. Liquid biopsy, which examines EGFR gene mutations in plasma sample, revealed EGFR L858R point mutation. Treatment with osimertinib improved his symptoms, resulting in discharge to home. Even a patient severely ill with metastatic brain tumors can benefit from the molecular‒targeted therapy using liquid biopsy to diagnose EGFR‒mutated lung cancer, suggesting an important differential diagnosis in such patients.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acrylamides
  • Aged
  • Aniline Compounds / therapeutic use
  • Antineoplastic Agents* / therapeutic use
  • Brain
  • Brain Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics
  • Humans
  • Liquid Biopsy
  • Lung Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Lung Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Male
  • Mutation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Acrylamides
  • Aniline Compounds
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • osimertinib
  • ErbB Receptors