Pulmonary Toxicity Caused by Cytotoxic Drugs

In Brief Chemotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment in many stages of cancer. Because there are many diagnostic options when a patient with cancer presents with nonspecific, respiratory, clinical manifestations, a multidisciplinary diagnostic approach is warranted. The top priority is to rule out life-threatening causes such as lung infection, which could be properly treated if a prompt, accurate diagnosis is given. Reaching a definitive diagnosis may require the use of one or more invasive techniques. This review highlights the risks and characteristics of chemotherapy-induced pulmonary toxicity caused by those agents that have been commonly used to treat cancer in the last decade. Clinicians should keep a high index of suspicion when a possible diagnosis of chemotherapy-induced lung toxicity is concerned, because early withdrawal of the offending drug is the most efficacious therapy. Lung side effects of chemotherapy can mimic many other lung diseases. To establish a fast, accurate diagnosis, a high degree of clinical suspicion is needed. Knowledge of this area of pulmonary medicine will help physicians increase their skills in diagnosing patients undergoing chemotherapy with concomitant respiratory difficulties.