Fatal pulmonary toxicity in a patient treated with gefitinib for non-small cell lung cancer after previous hemolytic-uremic syndrome due to gemcitabine.

Gefitinib is a low-molecular-weight epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. To date, gefitinib has been administered to over 65,000 people worldwide. The most commonly reported adverse events were diarrhea, acne-like skin rash, nausea, vomiting and asthenia.