Short report

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP) after thoracic radiotherapy for breast carcinoma

Robin Cornelissen^1,2 , Suresh Senan³ , Imogeen E Antonisse⁴ , Hauw Liem⁵ , Youke KY Tan¹ , Arjan Rudolphus¹ and Joachim GJV Aerts^1,2

¹Dept of Pulmonary Diseases, Sint Franciscus Gasthuis, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

²Dept of Pulmonary Diseases, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

³Dept of Radiation Oncology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

⁴Dept of Radiation Oncology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

⁵Dept of Pulmonary Diseases, Lievensberg Hospital, Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands

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Radiation Oncology 2007, 2:2doi:10.1186/1748-717X-2-2

Published:	3 January 2007

Abstract

Common complications of thoracic radiotherapy include esophagitis and radiation pneumonitis. However, it is important to be aware of uncommon post-radiotherapy complications such as bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP). We report on two patients with carcinoma of the breast who developed an interstitial lung disease consistent with BOOP. BOOP responds to treatment with corticosteroids and the prognosis is generally good despite of the need for long-term administration of corticosteroids as relapses can occur during tapering of steroids. This report provides guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of patients with pulmonary infiltrates after radiotherapy.