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Annals of Oncology Advance Access originally published online on August 27, 2009
Annals of Oncology 2009 20(12):1907-1912; doi:10.1093/annonc/mdp369
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

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Drug interactions in oncology: how common are they?

R. P. Riechelmann1,* and A. Del Giglio2

1 Internal Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo
2 Medical Oncology, ABC School of Medicine, Sao Paulo, Brazil

* Correspondence to: Dr R. P. Riechelmann, Internal Medicine, Federal University of Sao Paulo, Avenue Vicente Rao 90, Sao Paulo, SP 04560070, Brazil. Tel: +55-11-99320868; Fax: +55-11-55327702; E-mail: rachelri{at}terra.com.br

Background: Drug–drug interactions (DDIs) comprise an important problem in medical oncology practice. We systematically reviewed the frequency of DDIs in oncology.

Methods: We searched PubMed for eligible articles and on-line databases for abstracts of major oncology meetings.

Results: Eight studies reported on the frequency of DDIs: six evaluated the frequency of potential DDIs, while two studies reported on real DDIs, i.e. interactions that had clinical consequences. Studies of potential DDIs found that approximately one-third of patients are exposed to dangerous drug doublets, with the most common ones involving warfarin and anticonvulsants. One study of real DDIs found that 2% of hospitalized cancer patients had a DDI as the cause of admission.

Conclusions: Drug interactions comprise an important issue in oncology, with approximately one-third of ambulatory cancer patients being at risk of DDIs. Data are limited on the clinical consequences of drug interactions among cancer patients.

Key words: adverse effects, drug interactions, drug therapy, neoplasms

Received for publication June 14, 2009. Accepted for publication June 22, 2009.


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