• Jing Zhao, Qiang Fu, and Lihong Zhang.
• Tongji Hospital Cancer Centre, Tongji Medical College Affiliated, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
• Zhongguo Fei Ai Za Zhi. 2009 Dec 20; 12 (12): 1291-4.

BackgroundTreatments to brain metastases in patients of NSCLC include operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, while the disease control rate of brain lesions is not so good, the media survival time is 4-6 months. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib can get into blood-brain barrier as reported, and it is used as a effetive method to control brain metastases. The aim of this clinical observation was to evaluate the efficacy and adverse reactions after concomitant therapy of erlotinib and whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) in patients of NSCLC with brain metastasis.MethodsThis was a retrospective study. From 2006 to 2009, There were 12 cases of NSCLC with brain metastases. They were accepted the concomitant therapy of erlotinib and WBRT. The dose of erlotinib was 150 mg/d and the radiotherapy dose was (3 000-3 600) cGy/(10-12) F. After 2 months of radiotherapy the early efficacy was evaluabed.ResultsThe control rate of brain metastases was 91.7% with PR 66.7%, SD 25%. The major adverse reactions were skin rash (75%) and fatigue (91.7%).ConclusionsThe effect of the concomitant of erlotinib and WBRT in patients of NSCLC with brain metastases is better than WBRT alone, and the concomitant therapy is well tolerated.

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