Chemotherapy Toxicity Review

An overview of concerns we have with chemotherapy treatment…

• Nausea/vomiting
  • Pretreat prior to therapy
• Alopecia (hair loss, nothing we could do about it)
• Bone Marrow Depression
  • Treat with filgrastim (Neupogen®)
• Extravasation of vesicant drugs (drugs that cause tissue blisters)
  • This used to be an issue but it is now prevented with careful administration
  • If we put an IV infusion into a peripheral vein and the needle moves out, extravasation is this adverse event where the drug goes all over the surrounding tissue.  We don’t want this to happen with chemotherapy drugs because it will destroy everything around there so we no longer give chemotherapy drugs by a peripheral vein. We give it by a central line so we’re always sure we’re in a vein at all times.