Successful treatment of gemcitabine toxicity with a brief course of oral corticosteroid therapy.
Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analog that is useful in the treatment of solid tumors. Its use has been postulated to produce lung injury by causing a capillary leak syndrome. We describe a gemcitabine-treated female patient who developed severe dyspnea, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates, and hypoxia, with evidence of interstitial disease on pulmonary function tests. Following the administration of oral corticosteroids, she had complete resolution of all signs and symptoms of gemcitabine toxicity. Physicians should be aware of this treatable complication of gemcitabine therapy.
Vander Els
N J
NJ
Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY, USA. vanderen@mskcc.org
Miller
V
V
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D011239:Prednisolone; D012264:Ribonucleotide Reductases; D000093542:Gemcitabine