Adverse Drug Reactions in an Oncological Population: Prevalence, Predictability, and Preventability

Conclusion.More than 21% of admissions to an oncology service are ADR‐related. ADRs are caused by both SACTs and non‐cancer‐specific medications. The majority are predictable; ≥60% may be preventable. Patients with cancer have high levels of multimorbidity and polypharmacy, which require vigilance for related adverse outcomes.Implications for Practice.A diagnosis of cancer often occurs in patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. Cancer can cause an altered physiological environment, placing patients at risk of drug‐drug interactions, drug‐disease interactions, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs). This study identified that ADRs caused or contributed to one in five hospital admissions of patients with cancer. ADRs were caused by systemic anticancer therapies (SACTs) in 53.3% of cases and non‐cancer medications in 45.4% of cases, and a combination of both in 1.3%. ADRs occurred in similar frequencies in older and younger patients secondary to SACTs (8.3% vs. 13.1%, p = .295), non‐SACTs (10.7% vs. 8.3%, p = .107), and a combination of both (0% vs. 1.3%, p = .240). The majority of ADRs were predictable (89.3%) and potentially preventable (62.6%). These findings support the need for increased awareness of medication‐related adversity in patients with cancer and interventions to minimize their occurrence, thus supporting the American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines that recommend adults ≥65 years of age receiving chemotherapy have geriatric a...
Source: The Oncologist - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Symptom Management and Supportive Care, Geriatric Oncology Source Type: research