High body mass index correlates with increased risk of venous irritation by vinorelbine infusion.
BACKGROUND
Vinorelbine is currently one of the most active chemotherapeutic agents. However, it is also a moderate vesicant that is well known to cause venous irritation and phlebitis. We conducted this study to identify clinical risk factors related to the incidence of venous irritation caused by peripheral vinorelbine infusion.


METHODS
Medical records were used to investigate retrospectively a total of 201 cases of non-small cell lung cancer treated with a chemotherapeutic regimen containing vinorelbine. Venous irritation was evaluated in every course and graded according to the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria version 2.0. Gender, age, body mass index (BMI), chemotherapeutic regimen, dose of vinorelbine and prior chemotherapy were used as clinical variables.


RESULTS
A total of 928 vinorelbine infusions were administered to the 201 patients, among whom venous irritation occurred in 63 (31%). The incidence of venous irritation was 28% in the normal BMI (<25) group and 45% in the high BMI (25 or more) group and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.037). There were no significant correlations between the incidence of venous irritation and the clinical variables except BMI. In the multivariate analysis BMI was also a significant independent variable that correlated with increased risk of venous irritation (P = 0.017).


CONCLUSIONS
Care is required when using vinorelbine to treat patients with a high BMI, especially with regard to the development of venous irritation.
Yoh
Kiyotaka
K
Division of Thoracic Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8577, Japan. kyoh@east.ncc.go.jp
Niho
Seiji
S
Goto
Koichi
K
Ohmatsu
Hironobu
H
Kubota
Kaoru
K
Kakinuma
Ryutaro
R
Nishiwaki
Yutaka
Y
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010689:Phlebitis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014747:Vinblastine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D008937:Mitomycins; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D014747:Vinblastine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000077235:Vinorelbine; D000093542:Gemcitabine