title: Fatal interstitial pneumonitis associated with docetaxel administration in a patient with hormone-refractory prostate cancer.
abstract: Taxanes are widely used chemotherapeutic agents with the potential to induce pulmonary injury through a variety of mechanisms. Patients receiving these agents are at risk of acute or subacute pulmonary damage. The case is presented of a 72-year-old man with hormone-refractory prostate cancer and weekly administration of 30 mg/m2 docetaxel who developed subacute interstitial pneumonitis-related pulmonary fibrosis after seven doses and died despite mechanical ventilation and high-dose corticosteroid treatment. Even though only a few cases of this adverse event have been reported in the literature, severe docetaxel-induced pulmonary toxicity needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis when such patients present with respiratory symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine,S. Maurizio Central Hospital of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leimgruber
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Negro
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baier
authors.forename: Bernadetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Resch
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sansone
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adami
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zanon
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graiff
authors.forename: Eduard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Egarter-Vigl
authors.forename: Christian J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wiedermann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000077143:Docetaxel; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel