Chemotherapy may cause lung problems
It seems that decreased lung function is a long-term adverse effect of the chemotherapeutic drug drug cisplatin in men who survive testicular cancer.
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It seems that decreased lung function is a long-term adverse effect of the chemotherapeutic drug cisplatin in men who survive testicular cancer.
Researchers from Norway examined 1,049 survivors of testicular cancer who were treated from 1980 to 1994 to evaluate the pulmonary (lung) function. The patients were divided into five treatment groups: surgery only (202 men), radiotherapy only (449 men), chemotherapy with cisplatin less than or equal to 850 mg (306 men), chemotherapy with cisplatin more than 850 mg (62 men) and chemotherapy and pulmonary surgery group (30 men).
Lung disease was documented in 8 percent of the survivors overall, but the occurrence rate was about 17 percent in those who had been treated with cisplatin. Compared with patients who were treated with surgery only, it was found that those who received cisplatin had a significantly lower lung function.
The researchers also noted that recently a large international study reported a significantly increased mortality as a result of respiratory diseases among chemotherapy-treated testicular cancer survivors compared with the general population.
It was well known that bleomycin, also included in the standard chemotherapy regimen for testicular cancer, might cause pulmonary toxicity. However, the findings indicate that the decreased pulmonary function observed in the long-term survivors was probably related to cumulative cisplatin doses rather than bleomycin doses.
Researchers from Norway examined 1,049 survivors of testicular cancer who were treated from 1980 to 1994 to evaluate the pulmonary (lung) function. The patients were divided into five treatment groups: surgery only (202 men), radiotherapy only (449 men), chemotherapy with cisplatin less than or equal to 850 mg (306 men), chemotherapy with cisplatin more than 850 mg (62 men) and chemotherapy and pulmonary surgery group (30 men).
Lung disease was documented in 8 percent of the survivors overall, but the occurrence rate was about 17 percent in those who had been treated with cisplatin. Compared with patients who were treated with surgery only, it was found that those who received cisplatin had a significantly lower lung function.
The researchers also noted that recently a large international study reported a significantly increased mortality as a result of respiratory diseases among chemotherapy-treated testicular cancer survivors compared with the general population.
It was well known that bleomycin, also included in the standard chemotherapy regimen for testicular cancer, might cause pulmonary toxicity. However, the findings indicate that the decreased pulmonary function observed in the long-term survivors was probably related to cumulative cisplatin doses rather than bleomycin doses.
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