European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

EVALUATION OF ADVERSE DRUG REACTION (ADR) OF CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, KOLKATA

Anjan Adhikari*, Tshering Dolkar Bhutia, Rinki Tikader, Sangita Bhattacharya, Rania Indu and
Moumita Ray

ABSTRACT

Objective: Cancer is a disease which is spreading globally at an alarming rate. A number of medications are being used to treat this disease. Another large number of medications are accounted for different medical complexities in these patients. Undesirable effects of medications are a natural phenomenon and should be recognized, analyzed. Measures should be taken with specifically with best use of drugs to reduce human suffering. Present study will investigate adverse drug reactions in cancer patients attending a tertiary care hospital in Kolkata. Methods: This is an observational study conducted at R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital for a period of one month. Data was collected from the Oncology department of the college and evaluated on the basis of age, sex, diagnosis, drugs responsible for the adverse effects, symptoms of the adverse effect and evaluation of causality assessment. Results: In this study, 20 patients were identified out of the patients attending oncology out of which 40% were male and 60% female. Most of the patients (35%) were in the age group of 50 to 59 years. Most common cancers diagnosed in the present study population were lung cancer (25%) in male, and breast carcinoma (20%) in female. It was found that carboplatin was most commonly prescribed drug (15%). Conclusion: Anticancer drugs have a narrow therapeutic index. However, early detection of harmful drug effect helps to modify the doses or the regimen. The duration of the study was only for a month, a major limitation.

Keywords: Adverse Drug Reaction, Observational Study, Anticancer drugs.