Chemotherapy dose and dose intensity: analyzing data to guide therapeutic decisions.
OBJECTIVE
To provide key examples from the oncology literature related to chemotherapy dose/dose intensity to guide nurses in evidence-based decision making.


METHODS
Published articles and abstracts of scientific findings and clinical trials.


RESULTS
Understanding tumor biology and growth kinetics is essential in determining optimal approaches to cancer treatment and goal setting in cancer care.


CONCLUSIONS
Therapeutic decision making ideally should be data driven. Dose and dose intensity can make a difference in therapeutic outcomes. Additional research with well-designed clinical trials, incorporating recent advances in cancer biology, is needed to define more distinctly the role of dose/dose intensity related to specific tumor types.


CONCLUSIONS
Establish therapeutic goals at initiation of therapy, and communicate them clearly with patients, families, and the rest of the healthcare team.
Gillespie
T W
TW
Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. tgilles@emory.edu
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents