CHAPTER 17 Oncology
I. Definitions
A. Cancer: Typically defined as a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled and abnormal local cellular growth, local tissue invasion, and distant spread to other locations (metastases).
VII. Types of cancer
B. Sarcoma: cancer of the bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissue
C. Leukemia: cancer that starts in blood-forming tissue such as bone marrow and causes production of large numbers of blood cells to be produced and enter the bloodstream
D. Lymphoma: cancer that begins in cells of the immune system. There are two basic categories of lymphomas. One kind is Hodgkin lymphoma, which is marked by the presence of a type of cell called the Reed-Sternberg cell. The other category is non-Hodgkin lymphomas, which includes a large, diverse group of cancers of immune system cells. Non-Hodgkin lymphomas can be further divided into cancers that have an indolent (slow-growing) course and those that have an aggressive (fast-growing) course.
IX. Chemotherapy
D. Classification of chemotherapeutic agents
E. Adverse effects of chemotherapy
3. Bone marrow suppression: Common dose-related toxicity
a. Neutropenia: calculate absolute neutrophil count (ANC)
(1) Busulfan, carmustine, lomustine, cyclophosphamide, semustine, chlorambucil, dacarbazine, ifosfamide, carboplatin, cytarabine, fluorouracil, methotrexate, daunorubicin, doxorubicin, paclitaxel, docetaxel, topotecan, mitomycin, and others
8. Neurotoxicity
a. CNS (headache, somnolence, confusion): cytarabine (cerebellar toxicity), asparaginase, ifosfamide, fluorouracil, vincristine, vinblastine
10. Gastrointestinal toxicity
a. Nausea/vomiting
(1) Methotrexate, fluorouracil, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, hydroxyurea, dacarbazine, nitrosoureas, cytarabine
b. Diarrhea
(1) Irinotecan, methotrexate, fluorouracil, cytarabine, dactinomycin, 5-azacytadine, hydroxyurea, nitrosoureas, cyclophosphamide