[Anticancer chemotherapy. Prevention of complications].

UNLABELLED: OPTIMAL CHEMOTHERAPY DOSE: The goal of cancer chemotherapy is to eradicate the malignant disease while minimizing severe toxic effects. There is an optimal chemotherapy dose intensity above which palliation is adversely affected by toxicity; below this level the effect is also adverse because of a low rate of tumor response. METHODS FOR REDUCING TOXICITY: There are several methods by which one can reduce the toxicity of cancer chemotherapy, such as the application of rationally designed dosage schedules, alternative routes of administration, biochemical modulation, and the development of drug camers and analogs. Growth factors, interleukins can accelerate the recovery of the hematopoietic cell population after chemotherapy. CHEMOPROTECTORS: Chemoprotectors achieve selective protection of normal tissues. These include mercaptoethanesulfonate (Mesna) for oxazophosphorouros, the cardioprotectant iron chelator, cardioxane, the nucleophilic tripeptide glutathione, and perhaps aminothiolaminofostine.

QUALITY OF LIFE: Considerable effort has been made to reduce the negative effect of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting on the quality of life of cancer patients. 5 HT3 receptor antagonist plus dexamethasone led to a significantly higher rate of control of emetic episodes after chemotherapy.