Interstitial Lung Disease Induced by Targeted Therapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Review of Diagnosis, Workup, and Management

Abstract

Targeted therapies are being increasingly used for cancer treatments and had been proven to improve clinical outcomes. Although targeted therapies demonstrate survival benefit in particular patient populations, they may also increase the frequency of treatment-related toxicities and morbidity. The pulmonary toxicities, especially drug induced-interstitial lung disease (ILD), have emerged as critical adverse drug reactions which are potentially fatal. The main managment of targeted therapy-induced ILD includes drug discontinuation and corticosteroid therapy, but no standard guideline for the treatment of targeted therapy-induced ILD was established. Clinical physicians must cautiously weigh the benefits and risks of targeted therapies causing ILD in order to provide optimal treatments and favorable outcomes. Relevant clinical information regarding management of targeted therapy-induced ILD was reviewed in this article.