Suspected paclitaxel-induced pneumonitis.
We report two patients with advanced gastric cancer with suspected paclitaxel-induced interstitial pneumonitis. Case 1, a 66-year-old man with recurrent gastric cancer, was treated weekly with paclitaxel. After 11 administrations of paclitaxel, he developed a nonproductive cough and dyspnea. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed extensive bilateral areas of ground-glass attenuation. He did not respond to corticosteroid, and died 57 days after the last paclitaxel administration. Case 2, a 61-year-old man with gastric cancer and liver metastasis, was treated with weekly paclitaxel. The liver metastasis was dramatically reduced in size, but he developed a nonproductive cough and dyspnea after 21 administrations of paclitaxel. He did not respond to high-dose corticosteroid, and died 50 days after the last paclitaxel administration. Although it is a rare complication, paclitaxel-induced interstitial pneumonitis needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis when patients treated with paclitaxel present with fever, nonproductive cough, and dyspnea.
Shitara
Kohei
K
Department of Medical Oncology, Misawa City Hospital, 4-1-10 Chyuo-cho, Misawa, Aomori, 033-0001, Japan.
Ishii
Eiji
E
Kondo
Makoto
M
Sakata
Yuh
Y
D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D017239:Paclitaxel