Onkologie. 2015:9(4):202-206

The case of putative topotecan pneumotoxicity

Monika Náležinská¹, Renata Kalábová¹, Jana Kleinová¹, Helena Kolářová¹, Marcela Tomíšková², Josef Chovanec¹

¹ Oddělení gynekologické onkologie, Masarykův onkologický ústav Brno

² Klinika nemocí plicních a tuberkulózy, FN Brno

The authors present a case report of a 65-years old woman who suffered of metachronous breast carcinoma and mucous type ovarian carcinoma.

She was admitted to the department of gynaecological onkology with dyspnoea, chest pain, fever, and was extremely exhausted. At

that time she received chemotherapy: topotecan in monotherapy for the recurent ovarian carcinoma. According to the clinical status, X-ray,

CT picture and according to the negativity of broncho-alveolar splashing it was thought that we delt with a case of topotecan pneumotoxicity.

Therapeuticaly we subscribed to start the treatment with corticoids, bronchodilatants and mucolytics. Finaly the result of the histopathological

examination of transbronchial biopsy confirms the presence of adenocarcinomatous tissue well compatible with the ovarian adenocarcinoma

of the mucose type previously diagnosed at this pacient. The régime of chemotherapy was changed to FUFA de Gamont. The patient passed

away after the 2nd application due to fast spreading of the ovarian carcinoma to brain structures. We present the diagnostic difficuilties to distinguish

between non-specific clinical signs and X-rays at patients with polychemotherapy and lung generalisation of the oncological disease.

Keywords: topotecan, pneumotoxicity, ovarian carcinoma, brocho-alveolar washing

Published: September 18, 2015  Show citation