Metastatic renal cell carcinoma complicated with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage: a rare adverse effect of sunitinib

Int J Clin Oncol. 2010 Dec;15(6):638-41. doi: 10.1007/s10147-010-0104-3. Epub 2010 Jul 3.

Abstract

We report the case of a 67-year-old man with metastatic papillary renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who developed bloody sputum after the administration of sunitinib. Chest computed tomography revealed diffuse ground-glass opacity lesions, and bloody bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was obtained by flexible bronchoscopy. The abnormal shadows promptly regressed after withdrawal of sunitinib. In four cycles of sunitinib treatment, he suffered from controllable diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Finally, he died of respiratory failure 8 months after onset. This is the first case report of diffuse alveolar hemorrhage as an adverse effect of sunitinib in metastatic papillary RCC. Care should be taken with pulmonary hemorrhage in the use of anti-angiogenesis agents in not only squamous cell lung cancer, but also metastatic lung tumors.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
  • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / complications*
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Renal Cell / secondary*
  • Hemorrhage / chemically induced*
  • Hemorrhage / pathology
  • Humans
  • Indoles / adverse effects*
  • Kidney Neoplasms / complications
  • Kidney Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Kidney Neoplasms / secondary
  • Lung Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Pulmonary Alveoli / drug effects*
  • Pulmonary Alveoli / pathology
  • Pyrroles / adverse effects*
  • Sunitinib
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Indoles
  • Pyrroles
  • Sunitinib