What question did this study set out to answer?

To report a case of radiation-induced organizing pneumonia developing after radiotherapy for breast cancer.

March 21, 2026Open Access

Radiation-Induced Organizing Pneumonia Extending Beyond the Radiation Field After Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

Key Points

To report a case of radiation-induced organizing pneumonia developing after radiotherapy for breast cancer.
Case report of a 52-year-old woman with a history of breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy.
Chest CT imaging to assess lung consolidation and opacities.
Bronchoalveolar lavage cytology and cultures to exclude malignancy and infections.
Diagnosis of radiation-induced organizing pneumonia confirmed based on imaging and clinical history.
Chest CT revealed right upper lobe consolidation and multifocal ground-glass opacities.
Bronchoalveolar lavage was negative for malignancy and excluded other potential causes.

Abstract

A 52-year-old woman developed sudden dyspnea without fever.Seven months earlier, she underwent breast-conserving surgery for right metaplastic carcinoma (pT-1bN0M0) and received adjuvant paclitaxel plus trastuzumab, followed by trastuzumab with radiotherapy (40 Gy/15 fractions; Fig. 1A).Chest CT showed right upper lobe consolidation with air bronchograms extending beyond the radiation field, with metallic clips at the lumpectomy site (Fig. 1B), and multifocal ground-glass opacities in the same lobe (Fig. 1C).Complete blood count was unremarkable.Bronchoalveolar lavage cytology was negative for malignancy, and cultures/special stains excluded fungi and acid-fast bacilli.Based on the radiotherapy history, interval, and imaging findings, radiation-induced organizing pneumonia (RIOP) was diagnosed.Predniso-

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