Chemotherapy common regimens

This may be given orally, intravenously (IV) or intramuscularly (IM) the dose depends on the indication. For postoperative nausea and vomiting, common regimens are either 8 mg orally before or 4 mg IV intra-operatively. Increasing the dose does not significantly improve its efficacy. The doses used with chemotherapy are larger, especially with cisplatin therapy, e.g. 8 mg IV before, then 8 mg 2-4 hours later then 8 mg 12-hourly for 5 days. 

The current NCCN guidelines recommend four to six cycles of combination chemotherapy, followed by involved-field radiation (30 to 36 Gy). ABVD is the most common regimen used, but other regimens can be used as an alternative to ABVD. 

Breast carcinoma Postoperative chemotherapy commonly involves use of the CMF regimen (cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil) with or without tamoxifen, or the CAP regimen in which doxorubicin (Adriamycin) replaces methotrexate. Tamoxifen (or toremifene) is added to such regimens for receptor-positive cancers, and trastuzumab may be included if tumors overexpress HER2 protein. 

Comorbid conditions can increase the risk of anemia substantially. Anemia is especially common in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The incidence of anemia in cancer patients varies based on tumor type and the level of myelo-suppression the chemotherapy regimen causes. For instance, serious anemia [hemoglobin 7.9 g/dL or less (79 g/L or 4.9 mmol/L)] occurs in at least 75% of patients who receive a common chemotherapy regimen for lymphoma, but serious anemia may occur in only approximately 10% of patients who receive common chemotherapy regimens for... 

TABLE 86-5. Common Chemotherapy Regimens for Breast Cancer... 

Tables 88-2 and 88-3 list common chemotherapy regimens and the abbreviations often used in colon cancer.

The proportion of ALL in patients older than age 60 years constitutes between 16% and 31% of all adult leukemias. Treatment of adults largely has followed the conventional chemotherapeutic regimes used in childhood ALL. However, the intensification regimens common in childhood are not suitable for this population because of their associated toxic-ities in older patients. The adverse prognostic factor, the Philadelphia chromosome, occurs in 15% to 30% of adults and thus is more common in the over 60 age group.17 Based on the experience achieved in CML, the use of imatinib, a potent inhibitor of the Ph+-associated BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase, is becoming a common practice for these older adults. Results show that the combination of imatinib with conventional chemotherapy has improved remission rates compared with the use of conventional chemotherapy alone,... 

Common Chemotherapy Regimens Used to Treat Lung Cancer... 

References should be consulted for management of common toxicities associated with the aggressive chemotherapy regimens used for lung cancer. 

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in women and men in the United States. The current therapeutic options for patients with metastatic CRC (mCRC) are 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based chemotherapy regimens with the addition of irinotecan (CPT-11) or oxaliplatin. It still remains a challenge for oncologists to evaluate the reasons for a wide variation in response and toxicity among patients undergoing systemic 5-FU based chemotherapy. Pharmacogenomics... 

Some common anticancer drug combinations and the types of cancer in which they are used are listed in Table 36-8. These drug combinations are often indicated by an acronym of the drug names. For instance, FAC indicates a regimen of fluorouracil, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), and cyclophosphamide. These abbreviations are used to summarize drug therapy in a patient s medical chart, so therapists should be aware of the more common chemotherapy combinations. 

---