Gemcitabine pulmonary toxicity in ovarian cancer.
BACKGROUND
A case of gemcitabine-induced lung toxicity is reported in a woman with stage IIIc ovarian papillary serous carcinoma.


METHODS
An 83-year-old woman with stage IIIc ovarian serous papillary carcinoma diagnosed in 2001 underwent suboptimal cytoreductive surgery followed by carboplatin-paclitaxel chemotherapy. Initially in remission following chemotherapy, the disease subsequently progressed over the next 5 years. The patient received gemcitabine palliative chemotherapy. She developed significant pulmonary toxicity consistent with drug-induced interstitial pneumonitis, which improved with steroid therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
Gemcitabine, a second-line chemotherapy agent for the treatment of ovarian cancer, may rarely cause a serious or even fatal condition of pulmonary lung toxicity.
Ko
Emily
E
Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Gynecologic-Oncology, Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2617, USA.
Lee
Susanna
S
Goodman
Annekathryn
A
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine