Acute interstitial pneumopathy associated with docetaxel hypersensitivity

Abstract

Background: Acute pulmonary toxicity in cancer patients treated with docetaxel has been reported in previous phase II studies and case reports. Unlike transient pulmonary infiltrates, it is demonstrated that docetaxel-induced interstitial pneumopathy is a severe clinical condition that generally leads to respiratory failure.

Case report: We report a patient with breast cancer who received 2 cycles of docetaxel in 3-week intervals and developed respiratory failure. The clinical, pathologic, and radiographic data supported pulmonary toxicity caused by a hypersensitivity reaction to docetaxel as the most likely etiology. The patient developed the same symptoms and radiological findings after 1 cycle of paclitaxel administration. Unlike other more severe examples in the literature, this patient's condition did not require mechanical ventilation, and she recovered after corticosteroid treatment.

Conclusion: The present case raises the possibility that taxanes, as a group of chemotherapeutic agents, may cause the same type of adverse reaction in the pulmonary parenchyma. The authors recommend that any patient who develops a taxane-induced pulmonary toxic reaction, not be rechallenged or treated with another agent of the same class.