CASE REPORT article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Gastrointestinal Cancers: Colorectal Cancer
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1541649
This article is part of the Research TopicEvidence-Based Research and Clinical Application of Adverse Reactions and Management Strategies for Cancer Treatment DrugsView all 6 articles
A Case of Interstitial Pneumonia in a Colorectal Cancer Patient with a History of Lung Cancer Treated with Cetuximab
Provisionally accepted
- 1Jining No.1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
- 2Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong, China
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Purpose: This study aims to investigate the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and prognosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) induced by cetuximab. Patients and methods: A single case of a colorectal cancer patient who underwent radical resection and descending colon-rectal anastomosis for sigmoid colon cancer on October 22, 2020, was selected. Postoperative pathology revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma confined to the mucosa, measuring approximately 0.5×0.2×0.2 cm, with no cancer involvement in the proximal and distal resection margins, and metastatic carcinoma observed in 1 out of 5 pericolic lymph nodes. On July 29, 2021, due to a significant increase in CA19-9 levels, chest and abdominal CT scans, along with brain MRI, indicated enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes. The patient was afebrile and without respiratory symptoms such as cough, sputum production, chest tightness, or shortness of breath, and imaging suggested disease progression. With no significant abnormalities in C-reactive protein, blood routine, and no evidence of infection, cetuximab-related ILD was considered. Due to mild inflammation, the patient continued cetuximab combined with chemotherapy. Results: This study suggests that cetuximab can induce ILD, and the onset time may be associated with factors such as serum albumin levels and underlying pulmonary diseases. Conclusion: The incidence of cetuximab-induced ILD is low and relatively rare, with nonspecific clinical symptoms. Clinically, treatment plans should be tailored to the patient's actual condition to control disease progression and improve patient prognosis.
Keywords: cetuximab, Interstitial Lung Disease, colorectal cancer, personalized therapy, EGFR inhibitiors
Received: 08 Dec 2024; Accepted: 24 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yu, Yang, Zhang, Li, Ren, Chong, Guo and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Qing-Qing Yu, Jining No.1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
Yujin Guo, Jining No.1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
Haibo Zhao, Jining No.1 People's Hospital, Jining, China
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