The use of busulfan therapy in bone marrow transplantation. A nursing overview

One of the newest modalities for the treatment of cancer is the bone marrow transplant. This is an extensive treatment that includes conditioning or preparing the body with high-dose chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. On completion of the conditioning phase, the body is ready to accept the bone marrow transplant. The type of transplant is dependent on the disease, stage of metastasis, and donor availability. An autologous transplant consists of the patient as the donor, a syngeneic transplant has an identical twin as the donor, and an allogeneic transplant has a separate, matched donor, usually a sibling. The recovery phase after a bone marrow transplant entails supporting the patient holistically. Many chemotherapeutic agents, including the agent busulfan, are used for the conditioning regimen to help prepare the patient for the transplant. This article will examine clinical trials performed that use busulfan in this manner: to document the drug's usefulness as an option for the conditioning regimen for bone marrow transplantation and to present the potential toxicities of the drug. The nursing assessments and interventions for busulfan therapy are also discussed.