Side effects of tumor pharmacotherapy. What internists should know

Cytotoxic drugs have been used in the therapy of malignant tumors for the last 70 years. However, side effects of cytotoxic drugs are very common and often dose-limiting. Although many protocols have been optimized, side effects are still frequently life-threatening. Nausea and vomiting are among th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inDer Internist (Berlin) Vol. 52; no. 12; p. 1429
Main Authors Wollmer, E, Neubauer, A
Format Journal Article
LanguageGerman
Published Germany 01.12.2011
Subjects
Antineoplastic Agents - adverse effects
Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use
Fatigue - chemically induced
Fatigue - prevention & control
Humans
Nausea - chemically induced
Nausea - prevention & control
Neoplasms - complications
Neoplasms - drug therapy
Vomiting - chemically induced
Vomiting - prevention & control
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Summary:Cytotoxic drugs have been used in the therapy of malignant tumors for the last 70 years. However, side effects of cytotoxic drugs are very common and often dose-limiting. Although many protocols have been optimized, side effects are still frequently life-threatening. Nausea and vomiting are among the most frequently reported side effects, in addition to mucositis and fatigue. Bone marrow toxicity can lead to neutropenic sepsis, thrombocytopenic bleeding, or anemia with the respective sequelae. In addition to these unspecific side effects, organ toxicity is class or drug specific and may involve the kidney, liver, heart, lung, skin, or central nervous system. As most protocols can be administered on an outpatient basis, knowledge of these side effects is important for the general internist.
ISSN:1432-1289
DOI:10.1007/s00108-011-2930-4