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Oral Chemotherapy (oral + chemotherapy)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Continuous Low-Dose Oral Chemotherapy for Adjuvant Therapy of Splenic Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY INTERNAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2007
Susan Lana
Background: Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a highly metastatic and often rapidly fatal tumor in dogs. At present, conventional adjuvant chemotherapy provides only a modest survival benefit for treated dogs. Continuous oral administration of low-dose chemotherapy (LDC) has been suggested as an alternative to conventional chemotherapy protocols. Therefore, we evaluated the safety and effectiveness of LDC using a combination of cyclophosphamide, etoposide, and piroxicam as adjuvant therapy for dogs with stage II HSA. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that oral adjuvant therapy with LDC could be safely administered to dogs with HSA and that survival times would be comparable to those attained with conventional doxorubicin (DOX) chemotherapy. Animals: Nine dogs with stage II splenic HSA were enrolled in the LDC study. Treatment outcomes were also evaluated retrospectively for 24 dogs with stage II splenic HSA treated with DOX chemotherapy. Methods: Nine dogs with stage II splenic HSA were treated with LDC over a 6-month period. Adverse effects and treatment outcomes were determined. The pharmacokinetics of orally administered etoposide were determined in 3 dogs. Overall survival times and disease-free intervals were compared between the 9 LDC-treated dogs and 24 DOX-treated dogs. Results: Dogs treated with LDC did not develop severe adverse effects, and long-term treatment over 6 months was well-tolerated. Oral administration of etoposide resulted in detectable plasma concentrations that peaked between 30 and 60 minutes after dosing. Both the median overall survival time and the median disease-free interval in dogs treated with LDC were 178 days. By comparison, the overall survival time and disease-free interval in dogs treated with DOX were 133 and 126 days, respectively. Conclusions: Continuous orally administered LDC may be an effective alternative to conventional high-dose chemotherapy for adjuvant therapy of dogs with HSA. [source]

Considerations when choosing oral chemotherapy: identifying and responding to patient need

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 2010
S. IRSHAD mrcp, specialist registrar in medical oncology
IRSHAD S. & MAISEY N. (2010) European Journal of Cancer Care19, 5,11 Considerations when choosing oral chemotherapy: identifying and responding to patient need Oral chemotherapeutics are becoming increasingly accepted for the treatment of cancers and their future has never been brighter. They offer a more convenient and less invasive therapeutic option, moving cancer treatment from a predominantly hospital-based day unit into the ambulatory setting. Oral chemotherapy has the potential to maintain patient's quality of life and avoid the complications and costs of intravenous chemotherapy. It offers sustained drug exposure by providing prolonged therapy compared with intermittent IV exposure and lends itself more easily to the delivery of combination therapy. In this article we highlight the expansion of oral chemotherapeutic drug development in cancer treatment and the challenges posed by this change in treatment delivery. [source]

Chemotherapy: the effect of oral cryotherapy on the development of mucositis

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 6 2005
erife Karagözo, lu MSc
Aims and objective., The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of oral cryotherapy on the development of chemotherapy-induced mucositis in patients administered combined chemotherapy. Background., Mucositis has been of interest to scientists for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, this has not resulted in the development of standard procedures for prevention and management. To cope with this side-effect and to prevent opportunistic infections that may emerge during treatment, attempts are taken to provide preventative and comfort measures. In this context, cryotherapy (oral cooling) has become popular as a cheap and readily applicable method in preventing the developing due the rapid infusion of chemotherapy agents, or decreasing its severity. Design and method., Study involved 60 patients, 30 of whom were in the study group and 30 in the control group. Ice cubes at a size that can be moved easily in the mouth and whose corners have been smoothed in order that they will not cause irritation in the mouth has been used in oral cryotherapy in the study group. Oral chemotherapy was initiated five minutes before chemotherapy and maintained during venous infusions of etoposide (Vepesid®), platinol (Cisplatin®), mitomycin (Mitomycin-C®) and vinblastin (Velbe®) depending on the chemotherapy course. Results., According to Patient-Judged Mucositis Grading, the rate of mucositis is 36.7% in study group and 90.0% in control group, the difference between two groups being statistically significant (P < 0.05). According to Physician-Judged Mucositis Grading, the rate of mucositis is 10.0% in the study group and 50.0% in the control group, the difference between two groups being statistically significant (P < 0.05). Oral pH values decreased in 90% of the subjects in study group, i.e. mucositis risk was reduced whereas oral pH values remained unchanged or decreased in 86.7% of the subjects in the control group, namely mucositis risk increased. The difference between study and control groups in terms of the change in pH values after chemotherapy was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion., Our findings have demonstrated that oral cryotherapy makes an important contribution to the protection of oral health by reducing the mucositis score according to patient- and physician-judged mucositis score and by increasing oral pH values. Relevance to clinical practice., Aggressive cancer therapy places patients at greater risk for oral complications and treatment-related consequences. Unfortunately, prevention and/or treatment of such oral sequelae have often become overlooked as priorities of the treatment team. Effective approaches for the prevention or treatment of oral mucositis have not been standardized, and vary considerably among institutions. Prophylactic measures begin with an increased emphasis on improved oral status. Oral cryotherapy, the therapeutic administration of cold, is a prophylactic measure for oral inflammation. The relevance for clinical practice will be to understand the content of mucositis; comprehensive care should focus on the prevention of this complication in the clinical practice. [source]

Considerations when choosing oral chemotherapy: identifying and responding to patient need

Effective management of adverse effects while on oral chemotherapy: implications for nursing practice

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 2010
K. HARROLD rn, bsc ( hons ), chemotherapy, iv access clinical nurse specialist
HARROLD K. (2010) European Journal of Cancer Care19, 12,20 Effective management of adverse effects while on oral chemotherapy: implications for nursing practice The publication of guidelines by the United Kingdom National Patient Safety Agency and the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death which looked into deaths within 30 days of systemic anticancer therapy and the more recent position statement from the United Kingdom Oncology Nursing Society have all highlighted the need for an improvement in the care and management of patients receiving oral chemotherapy. While it is essential that patients are aware of the rationale behind dose interruption and modification if they are to effectively deal with toxicities and complications that may arise, they also require access to a clear line of communication in order to facilitate early intervention. The value of pre treatment patient education and ongoing support for these patients has already been extensively documented and while a multidisciplinary team approach in this is vital, nurses are ideally placed to take a leading role in these two aspects of treatment management. This article aims to detail and review current best management practices for the most commonly reported toxicities associated with capecitabine, an oral chemotherapeutic agent used in the management of patients with colorectal cancer. Only if both the patient and the health care professional supporting them are aware of best management practices will the impact of toxicities be minimised and treatment outcomes optimised. [source]

Recommendations for managing patients receiving oral chemotherapy and target therapies

ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 2 2008
Michael DOOLEY
No abstract is available for this article. [source]