Combined prednisolone and pirfenidone in bleomycin-induced lung disease

Abstract

Bleomycin is a cytostatic drug commonly employed in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease, seminomas, and choriocarcinoma. Bleomycin may induce a chronic pulmonary inflammation that may progress to fibrosis. So far, only corticosteroids have been used in the treatment of bleomycin-induced lung disease with variable results. Pirfenidone is an antifibrotic drug that has been approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We report two cases of bleomycin-induced lung disease treated successfully with pirfenidone and oral corticosteroids.