Fatal acute respiratory failure after vinblastine-mitomycin therapy in lung carcinoma.

The occurrence of pulmonary toxic reaction due to vinblastine sulfate alone or in combination with drugs other than mitomycin is not known. Acute respiratory distress is a rare phenomenon in patients receiving both chemotherapeutic agents. Two cases of fatal acute respiratory failure due to pulmonary edema occurred in patients receiving vinblastine-mitomycin for non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung. In view of the unpredictability of the reaction, observation of patients receiving this combination therapy is recommended.