Bacterial infection profiles in lung cancer patients with febrile neutropenia.

BACKGROUND: The chemotherapy used to treat lung cancer causes febrile neutropenia in 10 to 40% of patients. Although most episodes are of undetermined origin, an infectious etiology can be suspected in 30% of cases. In view of the scarcity of data on lung cancer patients with febrile neutropenia, we performed a retrospective study of the microbiological characteristics of cases recorded in three medical centers in the Picardy region of northern France. METHODS: We analyzed the medical records of lung cancer patients with neutropenia (neutrophil count < 500/mm(3)) and fever (temperature > 38.3°C). RESULTS: The study included 87 lung cancer patients with febrile neutropenia (mean age: 64.2). Two thirds of the patients had metastases and half had poor performance status. Thirty-three of the 87 cases were microbiologically documented. Gram-negative bacteria (mainly enterobacteriaceae from the urinary and digestive tracts) were identified in 59% of these cases. Staphylococcus species (mainly S. aureus) accounted for a high proportion of the identified Gram-positive bacteria. Bacteremia accounted for 60% of the microbiologically documented cases of fever. 23% of the blood cultures were positive. 14% of the infections were probably hospital-acquired and 14% were caused by multidrug-resistant strains. The overall mortality rate at day 30 was 33% and the infection-related mortality rate was 16.1%. Treatment with antibiotics was successful in 82.8% of cases. In a multivariate analysis, predictive factors for treatment failure were age >60 and thrombocytopenia < 20000/mm(3). CONCLUSION: Gram-negative species were the most frequently identified bacteria in lung cancer patients with febrile neutropenia. Despite the success of antibiotic treatment and a low-risk neutropenic patient group, mortality is high in this particular population.

Bronchial fistula associated with sunitinib in a patient previously treated with radiation therapy.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of bronchial fistula associated with sunitinib in a patient previously treated with radiation therapy. CASE SUMMARY: A 40-year-old man with renal cell cancer diagnosed in 2005 and initially treated by radical nephrectomy presented in March 2007 with a recurrence with cerebral, mediastinal, and lung metastases. A thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan showed a subcarinal tumor obstructing the bronchus intermedius. The patient was initially treated with cerebral and thoracic radiotherapy and then with sunitinib 50 mg/day (4 weeks on, 2 weeks off). Two months after the beginning of treatment, a CT scan revealed a dramatic reduction in the size of the tumor, associated with a bronchial fistula. This was confirmed by flexible bronchoscopy, which showed complete necrosis of the tumor and a large perforation of the bronchus intermedius. Sunitinib was immediately withdrawn and antibiotic prophylaxis was instituted. It was not possible to place an endobronchial stent. Two weeks later, flexible bronchoscopy revealed the reappearance of a yellowish mass protruding into the bronchus intermedius (40% obstruction). A few months later, the obstruction of the bronchus intermedius progressed to 90% and was associated with a contralateral obstruction of the left mainstem bronchus (20%). A rigid bronchoscopy was then performed to clear the obstruction and an endobronchial stent was placed, with satisfactory initial results. In February 2008, the patient presented with new bronchial obstruction under the endobronchial stent but refused a rigid bronchoscopy and died in March 2008. DISCUSSION: Sunitinib, a multitarget tyrosine kinase inhibitor with antiangiogenic and antitumoral activities, has been approved for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma. This treatment is generally well tolerated. Serious complications may occur, however. According to the Naranjo probability scale, the bronchial fistula was possibly related to sunitinib treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This is a rare case of a bronchial perforation leading to a fistula associated with sunitinib treatment after mediastinal radiation therapy. Clinicians may consider strict follow-up of patients with proximal lung metastases treated with sunitinib (CT scan and, if appropriate, placement of an endobronchial stent).