In most cases, trouble breathing requires immediate attention by your medical team. In some cases, emergency care is required.

Trouble breathing can take many forms – shortness of breath, wheezing, shallow or rapid breathing.  It can result from tumor growth or as a side effect of your cancer treatment.

Shortness of breath, also known as air hunger, is the most life threatening of the various breathing problems and should be reported to your medical team immediately

Interleukin-2 - A buildup of fluids in the lungs is a frequent side effect during the course of treatment with the immunotherapy drug interleukin-2 and is often related to the size of the dose.

Radiotherapy - Patients who have had total-body or chest area radiation treatment sometimes develop pneumonitis or the inflammation of lung tissue.  Usually this condition appears one to three months after treatment is completed.  Pneumonitis occurs in 5-15% of patients irradiated for mediastinal lymphoma, lung cancer and breast cancer.   It is a more common side effect for patients receiving total body irradiation.

Breathing problems can be a side effect of many chemotherapy agents.   Here is a list of some of the most widely prescribed chemotherapy drugs and symptoms to watch for:

• Bleomycin (brand name: Blenoxane) – Though less common, wheezing is a reported side effect requiring immediate medical attention.  A cough or shortness of breath is a common side effect especially among smokers and requires medical attention as soon as possible. If a cough or shortness of breath develops after treatment concludes, seek immediate medical attention.

• Carmustine (brand name: BiCNU) - A cough and shortness of breath are common side effects of this medication and require immediate medical attention.  These symptoms may occur after your treatment is over.  If they do, call your doctor.

• Chlorambucil (name brand: Leukeran) – Shortness of breath is a rare side effect.  Inform your medical team immediately if you develop this symptom

• Dacarbazine  (brand name: DTIC) – Shortness of breath is rare with this drug and requires immediate attention.

• Docetaxel  (brand name: Taxotere) – Shortness of breath is rare with this drug but requires immediate attention.

• Systemic Doxorubicin (brand names: Andriamycin PFS, Andriamycin RDF, Rubex) – Shortness of breath is a less common side effect but has been reported. Inform your medical team. 

• Liposomal Doxorubicin (brand name: Doxil) - Shortness of breath is a common side effect in all treatment groups.  It’s a less common complication for patients being treated for Karposi’s sarcoma.

• Etoposide (VePesid, Etopophos, Toposar) – Contact your medical team immediately if you experience shortness of breath.  This is a rare side effect.

• Fentanyl (brand name: Duragesic) - Very slow (fewer than eight a minute) breaths or troubled breathing may indicate an overdose and warrants emergency attention.

• Gemcitabine (brand name: Gemzar) – Shortness of breath is a common side effect. Inform your medical team

• Paxlitaxel (brand name: Taxol) – Severe shortness of breath, while rare, has been reported and demands immediate attention.

• Progestins (brand names: Amen, Aygestin, Crinone, Curretab, Cycrin, Depo-Provera, Gesterol 50, Gersterol LA 250, Hy/Gerstrone, Hylutin, Megace, Prodox, Prometrium, Por-Span, Provera.) - Can cause blood clots which lead to unexplained shortness of breath. Seek immediate attention.

• Procarbazine (brand name: Matulane) – Coughing, shortness of breath and a thickening of bronchial mucus are common side effects. Less common is the development of wheezing.  Call your medical team as soon as possible if these symptoms arise.

• Tamoxifen (brand names: Nolvadex) – Shortness of breath is a less common or rare but has been reported. Inform your medical team.

Superior vena cava syndrome – Sometimes difficulty breathing or rapid breathing is a symptom of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS.)  SVCS is the partial blockage of the vein that carries blood from the head, neck, chest and arms to the heart.  If cancer growth is impinging the blood flow, breathing can be affected. (There will likely be other symptoms as well.  Click here to read more about SVCS.)

What Your Medical Team May Suggest

Depending on the severity and nature of your symptoms and their cause your medical team may prescribe any of the following actions: 

• Elevate the head of the bed.
• Provide oxygen.
• Administer diuretics or bronchodilators.
• Clear mucous from airways.
• Limit patient’s activities.
• Prescribe corticosteroids. Other drugs that may be used include cough medicines, certain pain medications, diazepam, hydromor-phone, and morphine.
• Administer expectorant, humidifier, and/or increased hydration.
• Adjust treatment dosage.
• Schedule diagnostic tests.
• Schedule surgery.

This page was last edited on 06/19/2003
Written by Rachael Myers Lowe, cancerpage.com
Reviewed by Katie Mullaly, RN, MSN and Jane Quigley, RN, BSN