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Enhanced pulmonary toxicity with bleomycin and radiotherapy in oat cell lung cancer
Author(s) -
Einhorn Lawrence,
Krause Maurice,
Hornback Ned,
Furnas Becky
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197605)37:5<2414::aid-cncr2820370533>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - medicine , bleomycin , pulmonary toxicity , radiation therapy , pulmonary fibrosis , chemotherapy , lung cancer , concomitant , lung , cyclophosphamide , vincristine , regimen , oncology , surgery , gastroenterology
In a recently completed study, combination chemotherapy consisting of bleomycin, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine was given to 29 patients with oat cell lung cancer. There were no cases of pulmonary fibrosis in these 29 patients. Although several of these patients had prior radiotherapy, none had concomitant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. This same four‐drug chemotherapy regimen was combined with concomitant radiotherapy in 13 patients with oat cell lung cancer. There were three cases of fatal pulmonary fibrosis and two other cases of clinically significant pulmonary fibrosis. All five cases of pulmonary fibrosis occurred several weeks after completion of a six‐week course of bleomycin (total dosage 90 units). It is concluded that bleomycin cannot be safely administered while patients are receiving radiotherapy to the lung.