Lung
carcinoma is the leading cause of
cancer-related deaths and is the primary source for choroidal
metastasis in over 20% cases.
Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of all
lung cancer cases. Patients with metastatic NSCLC have a median survival of one year. Successful treatment of systemic
metastasis from NSCLC using
erlotinib has been documented. The effect of oral
erlotinib on choroidal
metastasis has been rarely reported. We document a case and study the effect of oral
erlotinib on choroidal
metastasis from NSCLC. A 48-year-old Caucasian female presented with biopsy-proven primary NSCLC with systemic
metastasis and solitary choroidal
metastasis of 4.8 mm thickness in the right eye. The patient was treated with 100 mg daily dose of oral
erlotinib. Two weeks after starting
erlotinib therapy, the patient showed complete regression of choroidal
metastasis to a flat
scar with resolution of subretinal fluid and improvement of visual acuity from 20/100 to 20/25. There was no evidence of recurrence at five-month follow-up.
Erlotinib is an alternative
therapy for choroidal
metastasis from NSCLC.