Eyelashes trichomegaly: An unusual side effect of gefitinib therapy

Abstract

Evolution of targeted therapy has changed the spectrum of treatment in oncology since the past two decades as lots of newer agents are being added to the pharmacologic armamentarium of cancer therapy. Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors form one such advancing field with many newer agents being investigated and they are used in wide variety of malignancies such as head and neck cancer, lung cancer, and even gastrointestinal malignancies such as pancreatic cancer. Various troublesome side effects of these agents include diarrhea, severe fatigability, severe skin rashes, and deranged liver function tests which may require treatment interruption or dose reduction resulting in decreased response to treatment. However, some of the side effects may not require dose modification but incidentally observed and does not impact patient's quality of life. One such effect is trichomegaly which is very rarely observed with such agents. Herein, this conversation we report a 52-year-old female case of metastatic carcinoma lung who developed trichomegaly of eyelashes while on gefitinib therapy.

Trichomegaly of Eyelashes in Lung Cancer Following Treatment with Erlotinib

“…9 EGFR TKIs such as gefitinib also have been reported results in trichomegaly. 5 These drugs inhibiting EGFR signals and cause changes in growth pattern thus induce abnormal hair growth. 11 There have been cases of trichomegaly after erlotinib.…”

“…There are multiple causes for trichomegaly such as congenital, familial, acquired and drugs. 5,6 We report a rare case of trichomegaly in non-small-cell-lung cancer following treatment with Erlotinib.…”

Using Liposomes to Alleviate the Toxicity of Chelerythrine, a Natural PKC Inhibitor, in Treating Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

“…Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) is the best treatment for NSCLC with EGFR mutations, and three generations of EGFR-TKIs are currently known, such as gefitinib, afatinib, and osimertinib ( 3 ). However, patients often have side effects ( 4 ) and drug resistance ( 5 ) when treated with EGFR-TKIs, such as EGFR-T790M ( 6 ). The effects usually develop in the patients after treatment with first-generation ( 7 ) and second-generation ( 8 ) EGFR-TKIs.…”