Good Tolerance to Full-Dose Crizotinib in a Patient with Anaplastic Lymphoma Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-Rearranged Lung Adenocarcinoma and Preexisting Renal Impairment

BACKGROUND: Crizotinib is an approved tyrosine kinase inhibitor in the treatment of advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer patients with anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase (ALK) rearrangement. Renal dysfunction after crizotinib administration was recently reported, but the physiopathological explanation and the safety in patients with preexisting renal dysfunction are still not clear. CASE PRESENTATION: A 44-year-old female and current smoker was diagnosed with a stage IV lung adenocarcinoma and treated with five lines of chemotherapy during a 4-year period of time. While she developed symptomatic tumor progression with deterioration of her performance status and renal dysfunction after these five lines of treatment, we discovered that her lung cancer was ALK-rearranged. We therefore proposed a treatment with full-dose crizotinib despite the renal impairment (creatinine clearance: 33 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) of unknown origin. A renal function worsening occurred after the initiation of crizotinib but we did not reduce the dose as recommended and this did not induce further deterioration. During the 15 months under crizotinib, the patient had a good general status, no clinically noticeable side effect, and a stable renal dysfunction, which even improved after the initial worsening and almost returned to the baseline (pre-crizotinib) status. CONCLUSION: This case report suggests that full-dose crizotinib may be continued even in patients with severe renal dysfunction and deterioration at treatment initiation, in parallel to careful follow-up of renal function and particular attention to avoid the use of concomitant nephrotoxic drugs.