Commonly used chemotherapeutic agents

The primary care physician is often responsible for the management of cancer patients who may be receiving complex chemotherapeutic regimens. The World Health Organization has recommended standard approaches to recording baseline data and reporting treatment results (see Table 4, pp 252-253). These standards are intended for international use to compare results from various centers or investigators. Most antineoplastic agents have a number of serious toxicities or adverse effects associated with their use. By recognizing and quickly diagnosing drug-induced adverse effects of antineoplastic agents, morbidity or early mortality may be avoided.