Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 11, 2026
03:59
Therapeutic Massage for Psychological Well-being in Geriatric Oncology
Published on: May 22, 2026
Potential drug interactions in elderly cancer patients
V Girre1, H Arkoub, M T E Puts
1Institut Curie, Department of Medical Oncology, Paris, France. veronique.girre@curie.net
Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
|July 3, 2010
Summary
Elderly cancer patients frequently experience drug interactions, with many interactions being moderate. This study highlights the need for careful medication management in this vulnerable population.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Oncology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Background:
- Drug interactions pose significant challenges for elderly cancer patients.
- Polypharmacy is common in this demographic, increasing interaction risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the number and types of medications used by elderly cancer patients.
- To identify potential drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in this patient group.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of treatments for 105 cancer outpatients aged 70 years and older.
- Utilized the French Thesaurus to classify DDIs into four levels: contraindication, not recommended, requiring precautions, and to be taken into account.
Main Results:
- Average of 4.7 medications per patient; 97 patients took 2 or more drugs.
- 32 patients experienced 45 potential DDIs, with no contraindications found.
- Identified 2 interactions not recommended, 9 requiring precautions (20%), and 34 to be taken into account, leading to respiratory distress and bleeding risk.
Conclusions:
- Drug interactions are prevalent in elderly cancer patients.
- A significant proportion of identified interactions were moderate, necessitating careful monitoring and management.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Metabolism
Geriatric patients show significant variation in how their bodies process medications, which can change how effective and safe treatments are. The liver is the primary organ where drug metabolism occurs, involving two main types of chemical reactions: phase I and II. Phase I metabolism is driven by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, which includes key types such as CYP3A, CYP2D6, and CYP2C9. Research indicates that while aging doesn't notably alter the levels or activity of these enzymes, it...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...
01:18Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Excretion
In geriatric patients, renal physiology undergoes significant changes, including diminished renal blood flow and a lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), leading to alterations in medication clearance. Drugs such as aminoglycoside antibiotics, lithium, and digoxin, which rely on glomerular filtration for removal from the body, particularly impact pharmacokinetics. These drugs tend to have slower clearance rates in older adults, necessitating careful dosage considerations.Evaluation of renal...