Pulmonary Function and Lung Fibrosis up to 12 Years After Breast Cancer Radiotherapy

Breast cancer (BC) treatment may affect pulmonary function, but evidence of long-term pulmonary toxicity is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate pulmonary function, radiation fibrosis (RF), and patient-reported dyspnea up to 12 years after different BC treatment modalities.

Two hundred fifty patients with BC referred to postoperative radiotherapy (RT) were included in this study. High-resolution computed tomography, pulmonary function tests (PFTs), clinical examinations, and patient-reported dyspnea were assessed before RT and at 3, 6, and 12 months and up to 12 years after RT.

Vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV₁), forced vital capacity (FVC), and diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) declined at 3 months after RT and remained low at long-term follow-up except for DLCO, which increased up to 12 years after RT. VC, FEV₁, and FVC changes differed between patients treated with and without chemotherapy, and FEV₁ differed between patients treated with locoregional and local RT. An early decline in VC, FEV₁, and FVC predicted a late decline in PFT values up to 12 years after RT (P = .020, P = .004, and P = .020, respectively). RF, mainly grade 1, was observed in 91% of patients at long-term follow-up. Few patients reported severe dyspnea at long-term follow-up, and there was no statistically significant association with concurrent RF or decline in PFT values from baseline.

Chemotherapy and locoregional RT affected performance in PFTs up to 12 years after RT. Reduction in VC, FVC, and FEV₁ 3 months after RT predicted a decline in PFT values at long-term follow-up. However, a late decline in PFT values was not associated with long-term RF or patient-reported dyspnea.