My Mother was just treated for SCLC and is in remission the past 3mos. This past month she has had pneumonia 2times and is in hospital again. She had extensive chemo and radiation treatments How can she have pneumonia with good oxygen levels and blood work?
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. In my opinion your mother is having radiation pneumonitis. It is very well known complication of radiotherapy. And blood reports will not show any rise in total count as it is not infection. It is inflammation only. It is due to tissue reaction in lung due to damage produced by radiation. So it is not infection. But due to inflammation radiological findings are same as seen in infection. Steroids are treatment of choice in radiation pneumonitis. So discuss these things with your treating doctor.