[Roentgeno-morphological pulmonary changes following bleomycin therapy]

Abstract

100 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, who underwent a bleomycin therapy pre- and postoperative have been followed up retrospectively for radiological signs of bleomycin-typical side-effects of the lung. The frequency of such changes was 24% and there were 2 peaks after 1 week and 4-6 weeks from the start of therapy. An increased risk to develop an interstitial exsudation and fibrosis seems to exist only for patients with preexistent emphysema of the lung.