Gemcitabine plus oxaliplatin for the treatment of leptomeningeal metastases of non-small cell lung cancer: A case report and review of the literature

A 62-year-old male presented with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma with leptomeningeal metastases (LM). Gemcitabine (1000 mg/m(2) i.v.) was administered on days 1 and 8 while oxaliplatin (100/m(2) i.v.) was administered on day 1 and repeated for 4 cycles every 3 weeks. Computerized tomography (CT) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were used to evaluate the response of the LM and the primary tumor to drug therapy. Following the administration of chemotherapy, headaches were observed to be notably reduced 6 days later and absent after 14 days. The symptoms of coughing and chest pain were alleviated. Subsequent to 4 cycles of treatment, the patient had a partial response (PR) and the CSF pressure was normal. Analysis of the CSF revealed that it was colorless, positive for protein, had a total cell number of 0/1 and contained no cancer cells. However, the primary lung tumor progressed for 1 year. This may suggest that first-line therapies, including the use of gemcitabine and oxalipaltin, may be appropriate for the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) with LM involvement.