The Importance of Balancing Toxicity and Efficacy in Chemotherapy: Focus on Pemetrexed

In this: publication
By this: publisher
In this Subject: Oncology
By this author: Boyer, Michael

Author: Boyer, Michael

Source: American Journal of Cancer, Volume 4, Number 2, 2005 , pp. 127-136(10)

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $57.95 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

The goal of cancer treatment is not just prolonged life but improvement in disease-related symptoms without compromising the patient’s ability to carry out normal activities. Unfortunately, the toxicities associated with common chemotherapeutic treatments frequently cause adverse events that are equal to or worse than disease symptoms. Frequent or prolonged administration of chemotherapeutics and/or complicated measures to limit drug toxicity often disrupt the patient’s normal routine and negatively affect the patient’s quality of life.

Targeted therapies aim to uncouple toxicity from efficacy; however, the efficacy of single-agent therapy has been disappointing, with the exception of imatinib. The novel cytotoxic agent pemetrexed has demonstrated the ability to prolong survival and improve disease-related symptoms and quality of life in malignant pleural mesothelioma without causing the toxicities seen with other cytotoxics of similar potency. Pemetrexed has demonstrated activity as a single agent and in combination with other agents. Because of its broad activity, good tolerability, and convenient administration schedule, pemetrexed has promise in treating patients with a variety of cancers.

Keywords: Pemetrexed; Cancer; Antineoplastics; Antineoplastics; Quality of life; Cisplatin; Carboplatin; Oxaliplatin; Paclitaxel; Taxanes; Docetaxel; Gemcitabine; Capecitabine; Nucleosides; Vinorelbine; Vinca alkaloids