A chemotherapy regimen is a
regimen for
chemotherapy, defining the drugs to be used, their dosage, the frequency and duration of treatments, and other considerations. In modern
oncology, many regimens combine several
chemotherapy drugs in
combination chemotherapy. The majority of drugs used in cancer chemotherapy are
cytostatic, many via
cytotoxicity
Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells. Examples of toxic agents are an immune cell or some types of venom, e.g. from the puff adder (''Bitis arietans'') or brown recluse spider (''Loxosceles reclusa'').
Cell physiology
Treating cells ...
.
A fundamental philosophy of
medical oncology
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος ('' ...
, including combination chemotherapy, is that different drugs work through different mechanisms, and that the results of using multiple drugs will be
synergistic
Synergy is an interaction or cooperation giving rise to a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. The term ''synergy'' comes from the Attic Greek word συνεργία ' from ', , meaning "working together".
History
In Christi ...
to some extent. Because they have different dose-limiting
adverse effects, they can be given together at full doses in chemotherapy regimens.
The first successful combination chemotherapy was
MOPP, introduced in 1963 for
lymphomas.
The term "
induction regimen" refers to a chemotherapy regimen used for the initial treatment of a disease. A "
maintenance regimen" refers to the ongoing use of chemotherapy to reduce the chances of a cancer
recurring or to
prevent an existing cancer from continuing to grow.
Chemotherapy regimens are often identified by
acronyms, identifying the agents used in the drug combination. However, the letters used are not consistent across regimens, and in some cases - for example, "BEACOPP" - the same letter combination is used to represent two different treatments.
BEACOPP chemotherapy regimen
/ref>
There is no widely accepted naming convention or standard for the nomenclature of chemotherapy regimens. For example, either generic or brand names may be used for acronyms. This page merely lists commonly used conventions.
List of chemotherapy regimen acronyms
See also
* National Comprehensive Cancer Network Treatment Guidelines
* Breast cancer chemotherapy
References
External links
Chemotherapy regimens and referencesChemotherapy side effectsChristie Hospital Chemotherapy Patient Information Sheets
{{Chemotherapeutic Agents
Chemotherapy regimens