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Adverse Drug Reactions in an Oncological Population: Prevalence, Predictability, and Preventability
Amanda Hanora Lavan1,2, Deirdre O'Mahony3,4, Mary Buckley2
1School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland amandalava@gmail.com.
The Oncologist
|March 6, 2019
Summary
Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) contribute to over 21% of cancer patient hospitalizations, often due to systemic anticancer therapies and other medications. Most ADRs are predictable and preventable, highlighting the need for careful medication management in cancer care.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Cancer patients frequently have multiple health conditions (multimorbidity) and take numerous medications (polypharmacy).
- These factors increase the risk of drug-drug and drug-disease interactions, leading to adverse drug reactions (ADRs).
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy in cancer patients.
- To assess the prevalence, predictability, and preventability of ADRs causing or contributing to hospital admissions in this population.
Main Methods:
- A 12-month prospective observational study involving 350 patients aged 16 years or older admitted to an oncology center.
- Data collected included patient demographics, number of conditions, medications, and reasons for admission, with a focus on ADRs.
Main Results:
- 96.9% of patients had multimorbidity (≥2 conditions), and 47% were prescribed ≥6 medications.
- ADRs caused or contributed to 21.5% of hospital admissions, with systemic anticancer therapies (SACTs) and non-cancer medications being common culprits.
- The majority of ADRs were predictable (89.3%) and potentially preventable (62.6%).
Conclusions:
- Over 21% of oncology admissions are linked to ADRs, stemming from both SACTs and non-cancer medications.
- High rates of multimorbidity and polypharmacy in cancer patients necessitate vigilance for adverse outcomes.
- Most ADRs identified were predictable and potentially preventable, underscoring the need for targeted interventions.
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