Chest
Selected ReportsEosinophilic Lung Disease Induced by Bicalutamide: A Case Report and Review of the Medical Literature
Section snippets
Report of a Case
A 69-year-old man had a history of prostate cancer since 1991 with osseous metastasis to the pelvic bones. The patient visited his physician with symptoms of 5 weeks of productive cough with progressive dyspnea on exertion. There were no fever, chills, or rashes. A week prior to admission, a chest x-ray film and a CT scan of the chest were done; these revealed bilateral interstitial infiltrates (Figs 1, 2), and he was empirically treated with oral clarithromycin for 1 week without clinical
Discussion
Bicalutamide is a nonsteroidal antiandrogen agent which exerts its action by competitive inhibition of androgen binding to cytosol androgen receptors in the target tissue. Prostatic cancer is known to be androgen-sensitive and responds to treatment that counteracts the effect of androgen or removes the source of androgen, or both.
There are currently three nonsteroidal antiandrogens available on the market.2 These agents have comparable efficacy but differ in their side effects. Flutamide, the
Conclusions
The data presented demonstrate that a new nonsteroidal antiandrogen agent, bicalutamide, is capable of causing drug-induced eosinophilic lung diseases. As more patients with advanced prostate cancers receive antiandrogen chemotherapy, more cases of drug-induced lung diseases may be encountered. Awareness of this entity is important since treatment entails simple withdrawal of the drug and institution of corticosteroid therapy in severe cases.
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Cited by (10)
Drug-induced eosinophilic lung disease
2004, Clinics in Chest MedicineRecovery from bicalutamide-associated pneumonitis in a patient with ATM-deficient prostate cancer
2020, JCO Oncology PracticeFatal interstitial lung disease associated with maximum androgen blockade. Report of one case
2016, Revista Medica de ChileTolerability of antiandrogens in the treatment of prostate cancer
2004, UroOncologyEndocrine therapy metastatic prostate cancer
2003, Progres en Urologie
revision accepted June 20.