It is possible for some chemotherapy drugs, such as bleomycin and carmustine, to permanently damage lungs. The chance of this is higher if you smoke or get radiation to the chest along with chemotherapy. Age also seems to be an important factor in the development of lung damage. For example, people over 70 years old have about 3 times the risk of developing lung problems from the drug bleomycin.
Lung damage may cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, a non-productive (dry) cough, and possibly fever. If the chemotherapy drug is stopped early enough in the process, the lung tissue can recover. Because early lung changes may not show up on a chest x-ray, your doctor may assess your lungs through pulmonary function tests and arterial blood gas tests. Lung damage cannot be reversed after fibrosis (scarring) has developed. Discuss any breathing changes you may notice with your cancer care team right away.
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