The lung is a primary target of cell injury in patients receiving cytotoxic drugs, and in many
cases the reaction is severe enough to produce diffuse pulmonary fibrosis. Although many
different agents may damage the lung, the patterns of cellular injury and repair are relatively
constant. Using bleomycin toxicity as an example, it has been shown that, after IV injection,
the selective site of lung injury is the vascular endothelium; this is followed by the
accumulation of interstitial edema and later by necrosis of Type I epithelial cells. In normal …