Open AccessEffect of bevacizumab on brain radiation necrosis in anaplastic lymphoma kinase‐positive lung cancer
Author(s) -
Tanigawa Kengo,
Mizuno Keiko,
Kamenohara Yusuke,
Unoki Taiji,
Misono Shunsuke,
Inoue Hiromasa
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
respirology case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.304
H-Index - 9
ISSN - 2051-3380
DOI - 10.1002/rcr2.454
Subject(s) - medicine , bevacizumab , anaplastic lymphoma kinase , lung cancer , radiation therapy , necrosis , lymphoma , regimen , tyrosine kinase inhibitor , oncology , adverse effect , cancer , gastroenterology , chemotherapy , malignant pleural effusion
Central nervous system (CNS) metastases from anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)‐positive lung cancer often results in failure of ALK‐tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. Patients with uncontrolled CNS metastases receive radiation therapy, which sometimes causes brain radiation necrosis. We added bevacizumab (15 mg/kg, every 3–4 weeks) to the regimen of four ALK‐positive lung cancer patients with brain radiation necrosis who were receiving ALK‐TKI therapy. A decrease in brain radiation necrosis was seen in all the patients, and an improvement in symptoms was seen in three patients. In one patient who was receiving corticosteroid therapy, we could taper the dose and subsequently discontinue it. While one patient discontinued bevacizumab because of adverse events, the other three continued with the treatment. Therefore, the combination of bevacizumab with ALK‐TKI seems to be an effective, manageable, and tolerable treatment for brain radiation necrosis.