Brain metastasis (BM) commonly occurs in patients with advanced lung cancer, and is associated with poor prognosis and limited treatment options, particularly for end-stage patients who are in poor physical and mental state. We herein present a case of lung adenocarcinoma with BM, as revealed by tumor marker and imaging studies. The patient was a 74-year-old woman who was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma with several metastatic lesions in the mediastinal lymph nodes, bone and brain. The patient underwent two cycles of chemotherapy, but the cancer recurred with enlarged BM, resulting in confusion and body dysfunction. The patient then received epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy with icotinib. After approximately 12 h of treatment the symptoms disappeared, and the metastatic lesions in the brain largely regressed in the following months. Our case indicates that the EGFR-TKI icotinib may provide a rapid and safe approach for emergency situations with BM from lung adenocarcinoma.
Keywords: adenocarcinoma; brain metastasis; epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor; lung.