Response to gefitinib/crizotinib combination in a pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma patient harboring concurrent EGFR mutation and MET amplification

Abstract

Abstract Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma (PSC) is a rare subtype of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with an extremely poor prognosis making it a therapeutic challenge. However, the development of genetic variation molecular diagnosis and targeted agents has brought the treatment of such malignancies to the precision era. Co‐existing mutations of EGFR and MET have been reported in NSCLC, but rarely found in PSC. We herein present a rare case of a 74‐year‐old female patient diagnosed with PSC, carrying an activating mutation in exon 21 L858R of EGFR and a concurrent MET amplification prior to treatment. Combined application of gefitinib and crizotinib, inhibitors targeting EGFR and MET, respectively, was prescribed. The patient experienced a partial response and was stable for 9.7 months off therapy. The observation stresses the importance of genetic testing and paves the way for combined targeted strategies in PSC.

Keywords

• crizotinib/gefitinib
• EGFR mutation
• MET amplification
• non‐small cell lung cancer
• Pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinoma