Favorable outcome of gemcitabine-induced respiratory distress syndrome

Gemcitabine, a deoxycytidine analog, is used to treat solid tumors, like non-small-cell lung carcinoma. The most commonly reported adverse effects are reversible and generally not fatal. However, among the five cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) secondary to gemcitabine treatment reported since 1997, four were fatal despite corticosteroid therapy. We describe here a patient who received gemcitabine for bronchial epidermoid carcinoma and developed ARDS which spontaneously regressed after gemcitabine withdrawal.