INTRODUCTION The aim was to evaluate the risk of acute side effects in the lung after 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) in patients treated for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). An attempt was made to single out clinical factors and factors related to treatment technique which may induce acute post-radiation pneumonitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS The analysis concerned 34 consecutive...

The authors stress the importance of distinguishing between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis in the differential diagnosis, especially in view of the fact that immunosuppressant treatment is suitable for patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis, but is clearly contraindicated in patients with IPF [2]. Furthermore, the authors note that these diagnos...

Two patients are described with severe and progressive rheumatoid arthritis in whom methotrexate was reintroduced despite previous methotrexate related pneumonitis. In both patients a marked improvement in disease control occurred without a recurrence of the pneumonitis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Research has confirmed that transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) is one of the cytokines related to radiation pneumonitis. But the level of TGF-beta1 in serum needed to predict radiation pneumonitis is still not clear. This study assessed the value of TGF-beta1 in both serum and induced sputum in predicting radiation pneumonitis, providing a reference for the ra...

BACKGROUND Taxane-based chemotherapy has been associated with an increased risk of radiation pneumonitis in patients with breast cancer. To obtain additional information about this association, we investigated the association between paclitaxel chemotherapy and radiation pneumonitis in patients participating in a phase III randomized study. METHODS Five hundred and twenty-four breast cancer p...

1 Reynolds HY, Newball HH. Analysis of proteins and respiratory cells obtained from human lungs by bronchial lavage. J Lab Clin Med 1974; 84:559 2 Akoun GM, Herman DP, Mayaud CM, Perrot JY. Acebutololinduced hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Br MedJ 1983; 286:266-67 3 Akoun GM, Gauthier-Rahman 5, Milleron BJ, Perrot JY, Mayaud CM. Amiodarone-induced hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Evidence of an immu...

PURPOSE Thoracic radiotherapy is a major treatment modality of stage III non-small cell lung cancer. The normal lung tissue is sensitive to radiation and radiation pneumonitis is the most important dose-limiting complication of thoracic radiation therapy. This study was performed to identify the clinical and dosimetric parameters related to the risk of radiation pneumonitis after definitive rad...

BACKGROUND Diffuse pulmonary infiltrates is the major complication and cause of mortality after bone marrow transplantation. We analyzed the etiologies and prognostic factors in bone marrow recipients with diffuse pulmonary infiltrates and assessed the role of open lung biopsy in managing this complication. METHODS Medical records of patients with diffuse pulmonary infiltrates after bone marr...