Cetuximab-Induced Interstitial Pneumonia in Head and Neck Carcinoma

Abstract

　A total of 88 patients with head and neck carcinoma treated with cetuximab (Cmab) between 2013 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed, and drug-induced interstitial pneumonia (IP) occurred in 7 patients (8.0%). Four of the seven patients had severe IP (over grade 3 according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, CTCAE), and 3 of these patients died of respiratory failure. Forty-three patients showed complete or partial response to Cmab treatment, although 7 cases (16.3%) developed drug-induced IP. Moreover, 5 cases had received treatment by the same protocol, which consisted of repeated induction chemotherapy and bio-radiotherapy with Cmab. Forty-five patients showed stable or progressive disease, but none of these patients developed IP (0%). We suspected that the risk of Cmab-induced IP increased, when the Cmab therapy was high-intensity and had good therapeutic effects.