Lung Fibrosis after Chemotherapy Containing Docetaxel in a Patient Treated for Breast Cancer

Docetaxel has proven effective in many solid tumors, including breast cancer. Hypersensitivity reactions are the most common toxicity associated with docetaxel. However, acute interstitial pneumonia is rarely reported in the literature. We report the case of a woman born in 1969, treated for invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast and who presented 6 years later with an invasive ductal carcinoma locally advanced in the right breast. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy based on docetaxel was indicated. Fifteen days after the third course, she had a stage IV dyspnea with a dry cough. Chest radiography showed a bilateral diffuse interstitial infiltrate appearance labeled as an acute interstitial lung disease secondary to docetaxel. The outcome was good after a high dose of corticosteroids. Clinicians should be aware of the risk of interstitial lung disease with docetaxel and introduce a special monitoring of lung function