Pleural effusion and pulmonary injury as an unusual complication to chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients

We report the appearance of pleural effusion, or pulmonary failure after ch emotherapy, followed by tumor reduction, in a small number of patients. Fiv e hundred and fifty-four patients with lung cancer have undergone chemother apy at our Institute during the last ten years. Three patients with non-sma ll cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with locally advanced disease, exhibited an un usual consequence following cytotoxic drug treatment. Two patients with NSC LC had pleural effusion which improved within 2-3 weeks, together with tumo r reduction, which allowed the continuation of treatment. One patient had p ulmonary failure with pleural effusion and recovered within two weeks. Two of the three patients had positive cytology for cancer cells in the fluid. All three patients achieved partial remission with no repetition of the com plication. The patients' recovery, response to treatment and the tumor redu ction suggest that this complication was not due to disease progression.