Drug interactions in breast cancer therapy may harm patients

Several drug-drug interactions (DDIs) found in breast cancer treatment may lead to adverse consequences on patient health and therapeutic outcomes, suggests a study.

A total of 150 women with a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer and currently receiving standard breast cancer-directed treatment were enrolled in this study. The average number of drugs that these women received was seven.

Of the patients, 92 percent had potential drug interactions. An overview of drug groups revealed that 32 percent of these interactions were between antineoplastic drugs, 62.9 percent between antineoplastic agent and supportive care drugs, and 5 percent between anticancer drugs and medications used to treat comorbidities.

Notably, 62.2 percent of patients had major DDIs, of which 25.3 percent were moderate and 12.4 percent were minor. Moreover, drug interactions were significantly associated with the number of drugs, comorbid diseases, and selection of chemo protocols.

“Therefore, healthcare professionals should review the medication regimen of patients with before starting any chemotherapy treatment,” the investigators said.

This study obtained data from breast cancer patients in the oncology ward (both inpatient and outpatient). The data was recorded into a predesigned form specifically made for this research through individual patient interviews and by reviewing the detailed medical chart records of these patients.

Drug interaction software such as Medscape mobile application and Micromedex version 2 were used to identify DDIs.

“Breast cancer patients use numerous medications, which include cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs, hormonal agents, and supportive medication, so they are more vulnerable to potential adverse drug interactions,” the investigators said.