title: Lacrimal duct stenosis and other ocular toxicity associated with adjuvant cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil combination chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer.
abstract: Certain side-effects of chemotherapy are well recognized but ocular toxicity is often underestimated. This retrospective study was undertaken after we became aware of a case of irreversible lacrimal duct stenosis in a woman receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer. Using the chemotherapy records, 128 patients who received adjuvant cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil combination chemotherapy for early stage breast cancer over a 2 1/2-year period were identified. The case notes of these patients were reviewed and an 18% incidence of ocular side-effects, including four other cases of epiphora, was identified. The epiphora resolved fully on completion of chemotherapy in these four patients but not in the index patient. The optimal management of these side-effects is unclear but it needs to be tailored to the particular toxicity experienced by the patient.
authors.affiliation: The Cancer Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spooner
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007767:Lacrimal Duct Obstruction / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017698:Postmenopause; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate