Pulmonary toxicity induced by the use of bleomycin in patients with germ cell testicular tumors

Introduction. Pulmonary toxicity induced by bleomycin is a dangerous complication of polychemotherapy in patients with germ cell tumors. It occurs with a frequency of up to 46%, and in 1–4% of cases it is fatal.

Aim. To present cases of pulmonary toxicity during polychemotherapy with the inclusion of bleomycin for testicular germ cell tumors.

Materials and Methods. Two patients aged 43 and 33 years old with testicular germ cell tumors were under observation after orchifuniculectomy who underwent chemotherapy according to the BER scheme (bleomycin + etoposide + cisplatin) in the steady-state mode in 4 and 6 cycles respectively. Positron emission tomography combined with computer tomography (PET/CT) with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose was performed when clinical symptoms appeared at the end of treatment.

Results. Histologically, the tumor in a 33-year-old patient was a mixed tumor – seminoma, embryonal cancer with teratoid cancer elements. Abdominal spiral computed tomography revealed metastases to retroperitoneal lymph nodes. In a 43-year-old patient, the tumor had the structure of fetal cancer with multiple metastases to the lungs, mediastinal lymph nodes and retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Six and four cycles of polychemotherapy according to the BER regimen were administered, respectively. The cumulative dose of bleomycin was 540 and 360 mg in 18 and 12 injections. Treatment was accompanied by the development of febrile neutropenia with G-CSF correction. These risk factors should be considered the most significant. The appearance of respiratory symptoms during treatment should be regarded as a manifestation of pulmonary toxicity. PET/CT is the method of choice for diagnosis. The clinical picture in the observed patients, as well as changes on PET/CT, were detected 2 weeks after chemotherapy was completed.

Conclusion. Pulmonary toxicity induced by the use of bleomycin in patients with germ cell testicular tumors is a very dangerous complication, sometimes with a lethal outcome. Therefore, its early diagnosis taking into account risk factors is of great importance in clinical practice. Among medical imaging methods, a special role is played by PET/CT, which allows predicting toxicity before the clinical and radiological debut.