REVIEW ARTICLE
Neglected Respiratory Toxicity Caused by Cancer Therapy Alternate Title: The Importance of the Infrequent Respiratory Side-Effects of Cancer Treatment
Christian Domingo*, 1, Jorge Roig2
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2007Volume: 1
First Page: 1
Last Page: 6
Publisher ID: TORMJ-1-1
DOI: 10.2174/1874306400701010001
Article History:
Received Date: 19/6/2007Revision Received Date: 29/6/2007
Acceptance Date: 19/7/2007
Electronic publication date: 30/7/2007
Collection year: 2007
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/), which permits unrestrictive use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
When a patient with lung cancer presents non-specific respiratory symptoms there are many diagnostic options. Chemotherapy is the cornerstone of treatment in many stages of lung cancer and its toxicity is well known. The main priority is to prevent life-threatening diseases such as lung infection, which can be treated successfully if a prompt, accurate diagnosis is given. Drug-induced pulmonary disease must be avoided at all costs but it is also important to avoid side-effects of drugs which do not directly interfere with respiratory physiology but may impair gas exchange. This review highlights the risks and characteristics of non-cytostatic-induced lung toxicity caused by agents that have been commonly used to treat cancer in recent decades. Physicians should be alert to the possibility of this neglected non-chemotherapy-induced lung toxicity in cancer patients, since early withdrawal of the offending drug is mandatory.
