Purpose: A substantial number of patients on targeted anticancer therapy (TT) cannot complete their lifesaving or life sustaining treatment as planned, due to severe or persistent adverse events (AEs) associated with these agents, which may affect clinical outcome. An effective approach to AEs is needed in order to help patients complete treatment as planned.

Objectives: The aim of this work was to identify a more detailed description of the AEs so that available treatment options can be provided leading to a decrease in dose modifications and continuing compliance with cancer care.

Methods: In part I, the medical records and clinical trial protocols of oncology patients on TT were searched. We explored terms used to describe AEs and documented missing information in a detailed AE diagnosis.

In part II, the core items identified in part I were applied on patients with AEs of TT and recorded if patients were able to complete treatment as planned.

Results: In part I we identified six core AE items, which were organized in six TARGET-steps: term, assess, report, grade, educate, and treat. In part II the AEs of 262 patients were approached according to the identified six TARGET-steps. At initiation, a total of 1.516 AEs was reported. The most frequent AE patients and questioners’ requested advice for in the study were dry skin, burning sensation, pruritis and dry oral cavity; 244 (16.1%), 201 (13.3%), 193 (12.7%) and 102 (6.7%) respectively. 98% of the AEs were decreased from moderate or severe to none or mild within 48 hours of AE treatment. No cancer treatment adjustments were performed.

Conclusion: Initiation of the most appropriate AE treatment is more likely to occur if the 6 steps of the TARGET strategy are taken.

Keywords: Targeted Therapy; Cancer; Adverse Event; TARGET; Treatment; Systematic Approach; Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO)

References

Citation

Citation: Christine Bettine Boers-Doets and Joel Brian Epstein. “Initiation of the Most Appropriate Adverse Event Treatment is More Likely to Occur if the 6 Steps of the TARGET Strategy are Taken”. Acta Scientific Cancer Biology 5.1 (2021): 18-27.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2021 Christine Bettine Boers-Doets and Joel Brian Epstein. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.