Erlotinib in a patient with vaginal carcinoma and pulmonary metastasis: A case report

Erlotinib is an epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. It is widely used in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. However, there are currently no reports of the efficacy of erlotinib in patients with metastatic vaginal carcinoma. A 48-year-old female with vaginal carcinoma was diagnosed with lung metastasis four years following surgery. The patient received three cycles of chemotherapy but could not tolerate further treatment due to the side effects. Next, erlotinib was administered, prompting a partial response and disease stabilization for 9 months prior to disease progression. While the main treatments for vaginal carcinoma with distant metastasis are chemotherapy and radiotherapy, this case supplies preliminary evidence that erlotinib may have activity in these patients. Further studies are required to determine the potential of this therapy.