Pneumonitis with Antiandrogens
Authors: Charles L. Bennett
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2003)

Letters16 September 2003Pneumonitis with AntiandrogensCharles L. Bennett, MD, PhD and Oliver Sartor, MDCharles L. Bennett, MD, PhDFrom Veterans Affairs Chicago Healthcare System/Lakeside Division; Chicago, IL 60611; and Louisiana State University School of Medicine; New Orleans, LA 70112. and Oliver Sartor, MDFrom Veterans Affairs Chicago Healthcare System/Lakeside Division; Chicago, IL 60611; and Louisiana State University School of Medicine; New Orleans, LA 70112.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-139-6-200309160-00024 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:As Ahmad and Graham have noted, because of underreporting, there are limitations to using MedWatch data to infer event rates. Randomized clinical trials, which do not have these limitations, identified a 2% rate of interstitial pneumonitis in patients with prostate cancer who received nilutamide (1). Both MedWatch data and the rate estimation method described by Ahmed and Graham, which includes an adjustment for year of marketing and calendar years, indicate that interstitial pneumonitis is at least 50-fold less common with the more commonly used nonsteroidal antiandrogens, bicalutamide and flutamide. Nonetheless, it is most important that physicians are informed ...References1. McLeod DG. Tolerability of nonsteroidal antiandrogens in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. Oncologist. 1997;2:18-27. [PMID: 10388026] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Lasser KE, Allen PD, Woolhandler SJ, Himmelstein DU, Wolfe SM, Bor DH. Timing of new black box warnings and withdrawals for prescription medications. JAMA. 2002;287:2215-20. [PMID: 11980521] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Veterans Affairs Chicago Healthcare System/Lakeside Division; Chicago, IL 60611; and Louisiana State University School of Medicine; New Orleans, LA 70112.Disclosure: Dr. Bennett has been a consultant to Cell Pathways, Schering-Plough, Inc., and AstraZeneca and has received grant support from the American Cancer Society related to nonsteroidal antiandrogens. Dr. Sartor has been a consultant for Sanofi-Synthelabo, Inc., Atrix Laboratories, Inc., and GTx, Inc., and has served on the monitoring board of Dendreon Corp. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoPneumonitis Associated with Nonsteroidal Antiandrogens: Presumptive Evidence of a Class Effect Charles L. Bennett , Dennis W. Raisch , and Oliver Sartor Pneumonitis with Antiandrogens Syed Rizwanuddin Ahmad and David J. Graham Metrics Cited byPneumonitis with Antiandrogens Severe Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis with Anagrelide Adverse Reactions to a New Food Ingredient Psychiatric Adverse Events with Levetiracetam Levofloxacin-Induced Hemolytic Anemia Levofloxacin and Achilles Tendon Rupture 16 September 2003Volume 139, Issue 6Page: 529KeywordsAdverse reactionsDrugsInterstitial lung diseasesPneumonitisProstate cancerSafetyToxicity ePublished: 16 September 2003 Issue Published: 16 September 2003 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2003 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...