Traditionally, leptomeningitis (LM) has been considered untreatable and terminal, but the development of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) has significantly improved the prognosis of patients with EGFR mutations. However, non-LM lesions occasionally progress or recur, even when the LM is successfully controlled with EGFR-TKIs, and treatment of such cases remains unclear. We herein report a patient with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who was treated with an EGFR-TKI for LM and cytotoxic chemotherapy for EGFR-TKI-resistant pulmonary lesions. The patient survived for almost four years after the diagnosis of LM, suggesting that this treatment may be beneficial in advanced NSCLC with EGFR-TKI-sensitive LM and EGFR-TKI-resistant extracranial lesions.
Keywords: carcinomatous meningitis; chemotherapy; non-small cell lung cancer; salvage therapy.