Interstitial pneumonia during bevacizumab-based chemotherapy for colorectal cancer

Bevacizumab is a widely used agent for treatment for colorectal cancer. Though it relates to several adverse events, a few cases have been reported of drug-induced interstitial lung damage in bevacizumab-based chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of 72 patients with advanced colorectal cancer who received bevacizumab-based chemotherapy and identified five cases (6.9%) who developed interstitial pneumonia (IP). The median age was 68 years, all five were male, and four of five patients were smokers. Three cases were asymptomatic, and they immediately recovered by withdrawal of chemotherapeutic drugs. On the other hand, two severe cases were required high-dose infusion of corticosteroid. It is suggested that early diagnosis of IP contributes to prevent exacerbation of the event and results in better outcomes. IP may have been associated with systemic chemotherapy, suggesting that a caution should be raised for pulmonary damage by bevacizumab-based chemotherapy.