A Retrospective Study on The Side-effects of Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Chennai (Research Article)

Author(s): Leena Muppa*, Shilpa Mary Saimon, Nidhi Susan Abraham, Sachin Baby Thomas, Anakha S Sachu

Abstract: Chemotherapy induced side effects among breast cancer can not only impact quality of life and tolerance of planned therapy, but also increases the cost of the therapy. The Aim and objective of our study was to identify and evaluate the frequency and severity of chemotherapy induced side effects in breast cancer patients. Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital, Chennai over a period of 6 months from January to June 2020. A total of 150 breast cancer patients received chemotherapy were included in the present study. Patient’s demographic details, cancer classification, drugs used to treat cancer, time of chemotherapy treatment, presence of associated diseases and data on side effects induced by different chemotherapeutic regimens were extracted from patients’ case reports, which were collected from the medical record room. Results: A total of 150 patients were enrolled into the study in which 0.66 % were male and 99.3% were females. The majority were in the age range of 38 - 58 years (65.3%) The most commonly prescribed drug was trastuzumab 105 (70%), which was followed by docetaxel 101 (67.5 %). Majority of the patient (62.6%) took docetaxel, trastuzumab, carboplatin regimens. 27.5% (n=41) of patients were reported with nausea and vomiting as the major side effects followed by diarrhea (17.5%), fever (15%), and majority of the side effects (65%) occurred at the age group of 38-58. Skin irritation was the most common side-effect observed in the age group 58-78. Conclusion: Our study had revealed some of the chemotherapy-related side effects commonly experienced by local breast cancer patients. Nausea and vomiting were the major side effect observed and majority of the side effects have occurred in the age group 38-58.

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