Rapidly progressive colonic dysplasia/neoplasia in a series of treated lung cancer patients: Is paclitaxel involved?

Abstract

Incidence of second malignancies in patients with advanced lung cancer is not well-studied, in part because of a short survival in this patient population. Apart from a genetic predisposition, various environmental hazards may also be at play in their pathogenesis. Chronic smoking exposure decreases T-cell responsiveness and stimulates production of a variety of inhibitory cytokines. Paclitaxel has been associated with several immunosuppressive effects such as decreased numbers and activity of dendritic cells, NK-cells, and monocytes. We herein describe the first series of lung cancer patients who developed colonic polyps/colon cancer either during or immediately following chemotherapy with paclitaxel, suggesting a possible role of this agent in their pathogenesis.

Keywords

Second malignancy paclitaxel immune-suppression cigarette smoking

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Mullins

Walker

Burger

. Taxol-mediated changes in fibrosarcoma-induced immune cell function: modulation of anti-tumor activities. Cancer Immunol Immunother 1997; 45: 20–28.

Behr

Nowak

. Tobacco smoke and respiratory disease. In: Impact of air pollution on respiratory tract 2002; Monograph 21, vol. 7. Sheffield: ERS Journals Ltd, pp. 161–180.

Sopori

Kozak

. Immunomodultory effects of cigarette smoke. J Neuroimmunol 1998; 83(1–2): 148–156.

Geng

Savage

Johnson

. Chronic exposure to nicotine impairs antigen receptor-mediated signal transduction in lymphocytes. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 1995; 135(2): 268–278.

Geng

Savage

Razani-Boroujerdi

. Effects of nicotine on immune response II. Chronic nicotine treatment induces T cell anergy. J Immunol 1996; 156(7): 2384–2390.

Singh

Kalra

Puttfacken

. Acute and chronic nicotine exposures modulate the immune system through different pathways. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2000; 164(1): 65–72.

Madretsma

Wolters

Van Dijk . In-vivo effect of nicotine on cytokine production by human non-adherant mononuclear cells. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 1996; 8(10): 1017–1020.

Martin

Wexler

Day

. Interaction between cigarette smoke and mycoplasma infection: a murine model. COPD 2006; 3: 3–8.

Tong

Seamour

Lawson

. Cellular immune profile of patients with advanced cancer before and after taxane treatment. Am J Clin Oncol 2000; 23(5): 463–472.

10.

Hill

Morson

Bussey

. Aetiology of adenoma-carcinoma sequence in large bowel. Lancet 1978; 1: 245–247.

11.

Lieberman

Smith

. Screening for colon malignancy with colonoscopy. Am J Gastroenterol 1991; 86: 946–951.

12.

Disario

Foutch

Mai

. Prevalence and malignant potential of colorectal polyps in asymptomatic, average risk men. Am J Gastroenterol 1991; 86: 941–945.

13.

Meriotta

Aquillini

Ricci

. Changes in monocyte phagocytic activity after multi-agent chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2002; 6(4): 67–73.

14.

Hong-Gu

. Altered maturation of dendritic cells by taxol, an anticancer drug. J Vet Sci 2003; 4(3): 229–234.

15.

Sako

Burioka

Yasuda

. Cellular immune profile in patients with non-small cell lung cancer after weekly paclitaxel therapy. Acta Oncol 2004; 43(1): 15–19.

16.

Tange

Scherer

Graeb

. Paclitaxel saves rat heart allografts from rejection by inhibition of the primed anti-donor humoral and cellular immune response: implications for transplant patients with cancer. Transplant Int 2003; 16: 471–475.