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Understanding dose calculations in Oncology
Several hundred thousand men and women are diagnosed with cancer each year. A good portion of these patients undergoes chemotherapy treatment. Yet it is surprising that only a very small percentage of these patients understand enough about chemotherapy. Of all the patients receiving chemotherapy only a very minor fraction of patients know how the dose of chemotherapy is calculated. Patients and even some physicians think that dose calculation in oncology practice is a very complex process. It is very important that the patients who are receiving chemotherapy get a good understanding of chemotherapy doses and the method of calculation of chemotherapy doses. Each year about 7000 deaths occur in the United States from medication errors. Chemotherapy drugs are especially dangerous drugs since they are associated with serious toxicities and have a very narrow safety margin. Even minor errors in the chemotherapy can potentially lead to serious side effects and even death. It is important that each of you receiving chemotherapy treatment know the names of the chemotherapy drugs and the suggested doses for each of these chemotherapy drugs. It is also very important that you get familiarized with the total dose calculation of the chemotherapy drugs you are receiving. A well-informed patient in this regard would do a great service to himself or herself and the medical community by participating in the care and trying to avoid chemotherapy errors. In the following article you will be shown in very simple step-by-step process how to determine the dose that you are expected to receive in the next chemotherapy visit.
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