RESPIRATORY-FAILURE FOLLOWING VINORELBINE TARTRATE INFUSION IN A PATIENT WITH NONSMALL CELL LUNG-CANCER

Vinorelbine tartrate (Navelbine [Burronghs Wellcome; Research Triangle Park, NC; Pierre Fabre Medicament; Paris, France]) is used in the tre atment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), breast cancer, and some gynecologic malignant neoplasms. The reported prevalence of adverse ef fects involving the respiratory system is less than 5% and involves mo stly dyspnea with occasional interstitial infiltrates, A patient with a hypercoagulable state and diffuse pulmonary NSCLC developed acute re spiratory failure soon after vinorelbine infusion. Physicians should b e aware of possible increased pulmonary toxicity of vinorelbine in pat ients with diffuse pulmonary NSCLC.