[Severe interstitial pneumonitis related to Gemcitabine]

Gemcitabine is used to treat solid tumours such as non small-cell lung cancer. In general, it is a well tolerated cytotoxic agent and myelosuppression is the major dose limiting side-effect. Pulmonary toxicity has been described and dyspnoea occurs in approximately 8% of patients in whom, for the majority, it is mild and reversible. But several cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) related to Gemcitabine treatment have been reported since 1997 and a few were fatal. We present a case of Gemcitabine toxicity in a patient treated for a lung cancer. He presented with a respiratory distress syndrome due to acute interstitial pneumonitis from which he promptly recovered with corticosteroid therapy.