STUDY BASED ON ADVERSE DRUG REACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH FLUOROURACIL (5-FU) CALCIUM- FOLINATE THERAPY IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM COLORECTAL CANCER.

Abstract

Introduction: Fluorouracil (5-Fu) is one of the effective chemotherapeutic agents especially used to treat solid tumours including breast cancer and digestive tract cancers. Objective: objective of the study is to assess the response of the patients with regard to adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Design: A prospective observational study. Place of study: Cancer Hospital Jamshoro Pakistan. Duration of study: May 2015 to December 2017. Methodology: This study included 160 patients both male and female aged above 18 years suffering from colorectal cancer and receiving Mayo regimen(Fluorouracil(5-Fu) 370-426 mg/m2 and calcium folinate is given 20 mg/m2 in day 1-5) by purposive sampling technique and data collected by interviewing patients and recording data in a questionnaire, which than compared with British National Formulary (BNF) and Hartwig and Siegel scale to assess the severity of every response.Results: Present study identified various ADRs with the frequency of occurrence and severity receiving mayo regimen for treatment of colorectal cancer. Patients showed various responses among which most common were fatigue, nausea and emesis, anemia, acidity and alopecia. High severity ADRs that is of level 3 of severity scale was reported especially by those of old age and females and these can be easily prevented and controlled with the help of supportive therapies.Conclusion: The study reveals that 5-Fu and calcium folinate combination therapy is associated with various ADRs and majority of the patients have shown a response towards the therapy that is manageable. Therefore, only those proved to be most vulnerable should be given additional care to ensure safety during the therapy.