Evaluation of pulmonary toxicity induced by pepleomycin

Spirometric parameters and transfer lung factor for carbon monoxide (TLCO) were determined in 14 cancer patients treated with pepleomycin at the dose of 10 mg twice weekly up to the cumulative dose of 200 mg. Mean values recorded after completion of therapy did not significantly differ from those recorded before treatment. Three patients pretreated with bleomycin had a fall in TLCO of more than 20% of pretreatment values. Three patients (2 of them pretreated with bleomycin) showed radiologic signs of pulmonary toxicity without instrumental signs of lung toxicity. In patients with no risk factors, no significant modifications in the tested parameters were observed after completion of therapy. These preliminary results suggest that, in the absence of risk factors, pepleomycin, may have no significant pulmonary toxicity at least up to the cumulative dose of 200 mg.