Respiratory failure following vinorelbine tartrate infusion in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer.

Vinorelbine tartrate (Navelbine [Burroughs Wellcome; Research Triangle Park, NC; Pierre Fabre Medicament; Paris, France]) is used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), breast cancer, and some gynecologic malignant neoplasms. The reported prevalence of adverse effects involving the respiratory system is less than 5% and involves mostly dyspnea with occasional interstitial infiltrates. A patient with a hypercoagulable state and diffuse pulmonary NSCLC developed acute respiratory failure soon after vinorelbine infusion. Physicians should be aware of possible increased pulmonary toxicity of vinorelbine in patients with diffuse pulmonary NSCLC.