title: [Dose intensity in cancer chemotherapy: definition, average relative dose intensity and effective dose intensity].
abstract: The cytotoxic activity of cancer chemotherapy is related to the dose and to the amount of drug delivered per time unit. The significance of time in the effectiveness of a treatment program is frequently overlooked. The term of dose intensity (DI) is used to define the drug dose delivered per time unit and is expressed as mg/m2 per week. A delay in the sequence of treatment cycles decreases the DI in the same proportion as a reduction of dose. Average relative DI corresponds to the mean DI of combined agents and is expressed as a fraction of a similar combination selected as a standard. DI is useful to compare the dose actually received with the prescribed dose. The relation of DI with tumor response or survival has not been fully demonstrated. A threshold DI level for therapeutic activity is evident. Above this threshold, a linear relationship of DI and effectiveness is not obvious, particularly regarding high-dose chemotherapy. The term of DI is more useful in its principle than in the significance of its calculated value.
authors.affiliation: Division d'oncologie, hôpital cantonal universitaire, Genève, Suisse.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alberto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
vernacular_title: Intensité de dose en chimiothérapie anticancéreuse: définition, intensité de dose relative moyenne et intensité de dose effectivement reçue.