Bronchoscopic findings for bevacizumab-related pulmonary hemorrhage in advanced non–small cell lung cancer

Abstract

We report contemporaneous bronchoscopic findings for a case of bevacizumab-related pulmonary hemorrhage in a patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Flexible bronchoscopy at diagnosis revealed abnormal capillary dilation that was suggestive of endobronchial involvement at the primary tumor location. The patient developed massive hemoptysis despite of marked tumor shrinkage achieved by bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy. Emergency flexible bronchoscopy for hemoptysis suggested that the location of the primary tumor was the source of bleeding. Subsequent follow-up flexible bronchoscopy revealed an ulcerative mucosal-like lesion associated with a white necrotic substance as well as attenuation of the dilation of submucosal vessels compared with that apparent at diagnosis. Our case report highlights the potential mechanistic insights into bevacizumab-related bleeding and importance of performing bronchoscopy at diagnosis in NSCLC patients, given that abnormal bronchoscopic findings may be a risk factor for bleeding.