Review Article
Premedications for Cancer Therapies: A Primer for the Hematology/Oncology Provider
Amber Clemmons,(1,2) PharmD, BCOP, Arpita Gandhi,(3) PharmD, BCOP, Andrea Clarke,(2) PharmD, Sarah Jimenez,(2) APN-BC, AGACNP, AOCNP®, Thuy Le,(2) MD, and Germame Ajebo,(2) MD
From (1)University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, Augusta, Georgia; (2)Augusta University Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia; (3)Emory Healthcare, Atlanta, Georgia
Authors’ disclosures of conflicts of interest are found at the end of this article.
Correspondence to: Amber B. Clemmons, PharmD, BCOP, University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, 914 New Bailie Street, Augusta, GA 30912. E-mail: aclemmons@augusta.edu
J Adv Pract Oncol 2021;12(8):810–832 |
https://doi.org/10.6004/jadpro.2021.12.8.4 |
© 2021 Harborside™
ABSTRACT
Chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy are associated with numerous potential adverse events (AEs). Many of these common AEs, namely chemotherapy- or radiation-induced nausea and vomiting, hypersensitivity reactions, and edema, can lead to deleterious outcomes (such as treatment nonadherence or cessation, or poor clinical outcomes) if not prevented appropriately. The occurrence and severity of these AEs can be prevented with the correct prescribing of prophylactic medications, often called “premedications.” The advanced practitioner in hematology/oncology should have a good understanding of which chemotherapeutic agents are known to place patients at risk for these adverse events as well as be able to determine appropriate prophylactic medications to employ in the prevention of these adverse events. While several guidelines and literature exist regarding best practices for prophylaxis strategies, differences among guidelines and quality of data should be explored in order to accurately implement patient-specific recommendations. Herein, we review the existing literature for prophylaxis and summarize best practices.
For access to the full length article, please
sign in.