[Continuation of chemotherapy with bevacizumab for advanced and recurrent colorectal cancer].

We evaluated the association between the number of treatment courses with the concomitant use of bevacizumab(BV) and the reasons for discontinuation of the regimen in patients who received FOLFOX with or without BV as first-line chemotherapy and FOLFIRI with or without BV as second-line chemotherapy for advanced and recurrent colorectal cancer. In first-line treatment, 12 (2-46) and 10 (2-60) treatment courses were administered with and without BV, respectively, and this difference was not significant (p=0.60). In second-line treatment after first-line treatment with the concomitant use of BV, 11 (1-23) and 3 (1-12) treatment courses were administered with and without BV, respectively, and this difference was significant (p<0.01). Discontinuation due to adverse reactions was more frequent for first-line treatment (34.9%) than for second-line treatment (6.2%; p<0.01). The reasons for discontinuation due to adverse reactions during first-line treatment with BV were often associated with BV, and those during first-line treatment without BV were most often associated with peripheral neuropathy. Therefore, we conclude that early detection and prevention of adverse reactions are important in first-line treatment and that pharmacists as well should be involved in the monitoring and management of adverse reactions, although continued administration of BV even during second-line treatment after first-line treatment with BV is recommended.

[Survey on the attitudes of pregnant and lactating women about the use of drugs].

The purposes of this survey were to determine the attitudes and the extent of anxiety of pregnant and lactating women about drug use, and to research priority issues for pharmacists' intervention. Postpartum lactating women and mothers with children in a Growing Care Unit (GCU) in hospitals certified as Baby Friendly Hospital (BFH) were surveyed. The questions included the images the respondents had of drugs before pregnancy, the extent of anxiety about drug use, and ways to relieve it. The highest number of respondents (49.1%) did not want to use drugs often before pregnancy, but said "physician-prescribed drugs are fine". 24.5% had no negative images, and they "take drugs when necessary without worrying". An additional 14.2% did not like drugs, and "avoid them whenever possible", followed by 9.4% who did not want to use drugs, but were willing to take health food and other over-the-counter items. The respondents reported that the extent of anxiety about drug use was 79.3% during pregnancy, which was higher than 71.7% during lactation. It was not influenced by birth experience and age. "The images of drugs before pregnancy" and "the extent to which the anxiety was relieved during pregnancy" were extracted as factors related to the extent of anxiety, verifying that negative images of drugs and low degrees of relief from anxiety raise the anxiety of pregnant women. The above shows that pharmacists need to understand the anxiety of pregnant and lactating women about drug use, and the images they had of drugs before pregnancy, thereby they are expected to work actively to determine and relieve the anxiety.