학술논문

Pulmonary toxicity of high-dose chemotherapy for breast cancer: a non-invasive approach to diagnosis and treatment.
Document Type
Article
Source
Bone Marrow Transplantation. 12/15/97, Vol. 20 Issue 12, p1063. 5p.
Subject
*PULMONARY toxicology
*DRUG therapy
*BREAST cancer
Language
ISSN
0268-3369
Abstract
Drug-induced pulmonary toxicity is one of the most frequent non-hematologic toxicities in breast cancer patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, cisplatin and BCNU (CY/CDDP/BCNU). A non-invasive clinical scoring system was utilized in an attempt to diagnose and treat early lung toxicity in 64 consecutive breast cancer patients undergoing CY/CDDP/BCNU supported by peripheral blood progenitor cells. Following hospital discharge, patients who developed symptoms suggestive of lung toxicity were evaluated with physical examination, DLCO, 2-min walking oximetry and a chest radiograph. Clinically weighted scores were assigned as follows: crackles on lung exam, 2; decrease in corrected DLCO by >10% from baseline, 3; decrease in O2 saturation by 4% with a 2-min walk, 3; and interstitial infiltrates on chest radiograph, 3. Patients with scores 6 were treated with prednisone (60 mg p.o. twice a day followed by a 2-month taper). Treatment was instituted in 37 patients (58%) a median of 56 days after high-dose chemotherapy. Steroid therapy was associated with rapid clinical improvement in most patients. No fatal complications or chronic pulmonary fibrosis was seen. This non-invasive clinical scoring system can be utilized as a model for the early diagnosis of lung toxicity. Further investigation is warranted for the development of preventative measures against this syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]