Drug-Induced Interstitial Lung Disease in Oncology Patients

Abstract

There are an ever-increasing number of drugs that can cause lung disease (Foucher and Camus 2008, Pneumotox online: the drug-induced lung diseases. See: www.pneumotox.com). Prognosis is variable from self-limiting to fast progression with potential lethal outcome. Especially for the latter, timely diagnosis and appropriate management are important. The role of imaging is eminent, given the aspecific character of clinical symptoms, the broad range of potential underlying reasons, and the potentially serious outcome. There is a broad overlap between computed tomography (CT) patterns known from interstitial lung diseases and the findings seen in drug-induced lung disease. We provide a general overview about CT patterns to be encountered in patients with drug-induced lung disease, followed by descriptions of findings related to specific drugs. A special focus lies on new molecular-targeted drugs. Aspects to consider for differential diagnosis are provided at the end of the chapter.