The effects of prior exposure to bleomycin on the incidence of pulmonary toxicities in a group of patients with disseminated testicular carcinomas

The incidence of pulmonary toxicities in 12 patients with prior exposure to bleomycin (BLM) was compared to the incidence of pulmonary toxicities in a matched group of 73 patients with stage III or IV testicular carcinomas treated with a regimen containing vinblastine, bleomycin, and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum. The comparison demonstrates that prior exposure to bleomycin constitutes a significant risk factor and that the risk is additive; ie, prior doses should be added to current doses to determine the cumulative dose-related probability of development of pulmonary toxicities.