Introduction:

Oncological treatments used in lung cancer, particularly polychemotherapy, promote cytotoxicity and the release of certain reactive oxygen species in their mechanism of action.

Objective:

To describe patients with lung cancer according to oxidative stress and antioxidant defense markers at the time of diagnosis and after the end of treatment with polychemotherapy.

Methods:

An analytical, prospective study was carried out in 86 cases. They were distributed into two groups: subjects diagnosed with lung cancer (n= 52) and healthy subjects (n= 34) at the Pneumological Hospital from May 2016 to May 2018.

Results:

The male subjects predominated (63.5%) and 55.8% were over 60 years old. The most frequent histological type was adenocarcinoma (57.7%) and 61.5% used the cisplatin and etoposide chemotherapy modality. Lung cancer patients showed higher endogenous oxidative damage to lipids and proteins (40.4% and 28.8%) respectively, while 63.5% kept normal plasma concentrations of total peroxides. In 40.4% of the patients, the enzymatic defense activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase increased, which tended to normal (63.5% and 48.0%) respectively. 76.9% reached normal levels of glutathione s-transferase after oncospecific treatment.

Conclusions:

Chemotherapy is related to exacerbation of oxidative stress and a decrease in the antioxidant defense system.

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