How the new oral antineoplastics affect nursing practice: capecitabine serves to illustrate.
The increasing use of oral anticancer drugs has profound implications for cancer treatment and nursing practice, shifting care from hospitals to outpatient settings and from oncology specialists to patients, families, and caregivers. Nurses will focus less on drug administration and more on educating patients, monitoring for adverse effects, and performing follow-up care. This article discusses how these new drugs are affecting nursing practice, focusing on one novel oral agent-capecitabine (Xeloda), approved for treating metastatic colorectal and breast cancer and as adjuvant therapy for stage 3 (Dukes's C) colon cancer-to illustrate.
Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Phoenix, USA. andy.szetela@bannerhealth.com
Anthony B
AB
Szetela
Denice E
DE
Gibson
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing / Q000473:pathology; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing / Q000473:pathology; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011306:Prescription Fees
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000069287:Capecitabine; D005472:Fluorouracil