Pneumonitis Related to Docetaxel: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Taxotere has recently been making a noticeable impact on breast, gastric, ovarian, prostate and non-small cell lung cancers. Its side effects include dyspnea, pruritus, skin rashes, fever and hypotension. The patient presented the less common, however potentially fatal, toxicity of pneumonitis. He i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inIn vivo (Athens) Vol. 23; no. 4; p. 635
Main Authors Alsamarai, Susan, Charpidou, Andriani G, Matthay, Richard A, Confeld, Daniel, Syrigos, Kostas N, Saif, Muhammad W
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Greece International Institute of Anticancer Research 01.07.2009
Subjects
Adenocarcinoma - drug therapy
Aged
Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects
Esophageal Neoplasms - drug therapy
Humans
Male
Pneumonia - chemically induced
Pneumonia - diagnostic imaging
Radiography
Taxoids - adverse effects
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:Taxotere has recently been making a noticeable impact on breast, gastric, ovarian, prostate and non-small cell lung cancers. Its side effects include dyspnea, pruritus, skin rashes, fever and hypotension. The patient presented the less common, however potentially fatal, toxicity of pneumonitis. He initially presented with a flu-like illness and hypoxia that was unresponsive to antibiotic treatment and actually progressed. He presented 14 days after his second dose of taxotere, although in retrospect noted symptoms several days prior. Although some patients described in the literature have progressed to respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, this patient responded to steroid treatment and withdrawal of taxotere.
ISSN:0258-851X
1791-7549