Dose intensity of chemotherapy in chemotherapy sensitive Malignancies in Myanmar

ABSTRACT

In order to find out the appropriate dose intensities of various chemotherapeutic regimes for chemotherapy-sensitive malignancies in Myanmar patients, all cancer patients treated by the medical oncologist of the Radiotherapy Department over the period of two years (September 1996 to August 1998) were closely monitored. In this paper the chemotherapeutic dose intensities for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Breast Cancer patients were analysed and the tolerability of the patients, side effects (according to the Common Toxicity Criteria, WHO) and clinical responses (according to the WHO Criteria) were reported. It was found that Myanmar patients could tolerate the internationally standard dosages of chemotherapeutic regimes provided that their body surface areas, performance status, blood counts, liver functions, renal functions and cardiac functions were properly monitored and taken into consideration in calculating the dosages. The clinical implications of giving optimal dosages of chemotherapy in terms of their impact on short-term response rates and longterm survival rates were discussed.