Delivery of bleomycin among patients with testicular cancer: A population-based study of pulmonary monitoring and toxicity

e16056 Background: Bleomycin is commonly used to treat testicular cancer and can be associated with severe pulmonary toxicity. There is limited information about how clinicians monitor patients during treatment and the incidence of pulmonary toxicity in routine practice. Methods: The Ontario Cancer Registry was linked to electronic records of treatment to identify all incident cases of testicular cancer treated with orchiectomy and bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) chemotherapy in the province of Ontario during 2005-2010. Health-administrative databases were used to describe use of pulmonary function tests (PFTs), chest imaging and physician visits. Results: 475 patients were treated with orchiectomy and chemotherapy. Complete chemotherapy records were available for 93% (368/394) of men treated with BEP. Bleomycin was omitted among 32% (116/368) of patients. PFTs were performed in 17% (63/368), 17% (61/368) and 29% (106/368) of patients before BEP, during BEP, and within 2 years of finishing BEP, respectively. During chemotherapy, 62% of patients (227/368) had chest imaging. In the two years following BEP, 23% (85/368) had a physician visit for respiratory symptoms; this rate was substantially higher among men with greater exposure to bleomycin; 40% (24/60) for 10-12 doses bleomycin vs 21% (53/250) for 7-9 doses vs 14% (8/58) for 1-6 doses (p = 0.002). Two percent of men (8/368) had visit codes for pulmonary fibrosis. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of men treated with BEP will seek medical attention after chemotherapy for respiratory symptoms and this is associated with cumulative dose of bleomycin. Use of PFTs and chest imaging during treatment is common. Whether PFT test results or clinical symptoms are leading to bleomycin dose omission is uncertain.