Potential drug interactions in elderly cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
Drug interaction constitutes a major challenge in elderly cancer patients. This study investigated the number and types of medications patients and potential drug interactions in these patients.


METHODS
Treatments received by 105 cancer outpatients aged ≥70 years were analyzed using the French Thesaurus to identify drug-drug interactions according to four levels: contraindication, concomitant use not recommended, concomitant medications requiring precautions and concomitant medications to be taken into account.


RESULTS
The mean number of medications per patient was 4.7 (range: 0-14). Among 97 patients taking ≥2 drugs, 45 potential interactions were identified, occurring in 32 patients. No contraindication, 2 cases of concomitant use not recommended, 9 cases requiring precautions (20%) and 34 cases of concomitant medications to be taken into account were identified. Drug interactions caused respiratory distress and increased bleeding risk.


CONCLUSIONS
Drug interactions are common in the elderly, but almost half of interactions were moderate.
Girre
V
V
Institut Curie, Department of Medical Oncology, Paris, France. veronique.girre@curie.net
Arkoub
H
H
Puts
M T E
MT
Vantelon
C
C
Blanchard
F
F
Droz
J P
JP
Mignot
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*