A 79-year-old man with recurrent oropharyngeal cancer has developed the first documented case of severe drug-induced interstitial lung disease following photoimmunotherapy with cetuximab-sarotalocan sodium, according to a July 5 case report published in Science Direct.
Here are four notes:
- This is the first documented instance of drug-induced interstitial lung disease caused by this type of photoimmunotherapy, according to the authors, who are based at Hamamatsu University in Japan. While the therapy showed a favorable safety profile in clinical trials with no reported cases of lung injury, the authors confirmed its potential to cause lung complications.
- Before treatment, high-resolution CT scans revealed mild interstitial lung disease in both of the patient’s lungs. This had not been previously diagnosed and is considered a likely risk factor in development of interstitial lung disease.
- The patient presented with fever and shortness of breath two months after receiving the therapy. He was then treated with two cycles of intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral prednisolone. His lung condition improved and follow-up imaging showed reduced abnormalities.
- Cetuximab, a component of the therapy, has been linked to drug-induced interstitial lung disease in previous studies. Reported rates of the disease in head and neck cancer patients range from 4.5% to 13.3%, with some cases fatal. The risk is heightened in older patients and smokers, the report said.
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