EARLY PULMONARY TOXICITY AFTER ADMINISTRATION OF HIGH-DOSE BCNU

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 65  (1-2) , 39-44
Abstract
Patients with solid tumor malignancies who failed extensive front-line treatments were treated with high-dose BCNU [1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea] followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation. Since 1976, 14 patients were treated in this program with BCNU doses ranging from 600-1500 mg/m2 over 2 days. Three patients developed pulmonary toxicity only a few weeks after receiving high-dose BCNU at total doses of 900, 1000 and 1500 mg/m2. Two of the 3 patients had prior irradiation to the primary tumor. The 3rd patient did not have prior irradiation to the chest but had received prior nitrosourea therapy. The use of high-dose BCNU in transplantation may be limited by early pulmonary toxicity.