Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia following everolimus treatment of metastatic breast cancer.
Everolimus is an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin with anti-tumour activity. While everolimus is known to cause drug-induced pneumonitis, it is rarely associated with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). We report a patient on everolimus therapy for metastatic breast cancer that developed PJP. Diagnosis was based on clinical features and a quantitative polymerase chain reaction for P. jirovecii DNA. Clinicians should consider PJP as a potential cause of pulmonary infiltrates in patients treated with everolimus.
Department of General Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Australia.
Kelvin Teck-Hong
KT
Kuik
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Australia.
Jason
J
Trubiano
Department of Infectious Diseases, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Australia ; Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
Leon J
LJ
Worth
Department of General Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Australia.
Nur-Shirin
NS
Harun
Department of General Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Australia.
Daniel
D
Steinfort
Department of General Medicine, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, East Melbourne, Australia.
Douglas
D
Johnson
Cancer; Everolimus; PJP; Pneumocystis; Pneumonitis