Corticosteroid therapy against treatment-related pulmonary toxicities in patients with lung cancer

With the recent increased use of new anti-neoplastic agents, molecular-targeted drugs and radiation in patients with lung cancer, there has been an increase in the occurrence drug-induced or radiation-induced pulmonary toxicities. We conducted this study to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with lung cancer who presented with treatment-related pulmonary toxicities and to analyze the dosage pattern of corticosteroid therapy against them. To collect the baseline data from the patients with lung cancer who developed treatment-related pulmonary toxicities, we initially selected those who were prescribed corticosteroids between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012. Depending on clinical and radiological diagnoses, we classified pulmonary toxicities into drug-induced interstitial lung disease (DILD), radiation pneumonitis, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE COPD) and others. We divided total patients (n=398) into four groups, and these include 88 cases (22%) of DILD, 189 cases (47%) of radiation pneumonitis, 47 cases (12%) of AE COPD and 74 cases (19%) of others. The prescribed rate of pulse or high-dose steroid was measured as 73%, 20%, 40% and 38%, respectively (P