Study of Drug Interactions in Cancer Therapy and Their Management in Cancer Patients at the Outpatient Polyclinic of General Hospital “X” in 2020

Chemotherapy is commonly used in cancer patients either as a monotherapy or in combination, as it demonstrates higher effectiveness and lower toxicity compared to single-agent use, while also preventing drug resistance. The combination of chemotherapy drugs, or their use alongside supportive drugs, can increase the risk of drug interactions that may affect treatment outcomes. The purpose of this research is to examine and offer suggestions for the management of medication interactions in cancer patients at the X Cancer Centre polyclinic of X Denpasar Hospital in 2020. The present investigation is a cross-sectional descriptive study with retrospective data collection from medical records in 2020. Drug interaction data were analyzed using Drugs.com, Lexicomp, and Stockley to assess the type of interaction, risk level, severity, and management of each interaction. The results indicated that the most common types of cancer were breast cancer (62.7%) and lymphoma (10.2%), with combination chemotherapy being used in 73.97% of cases. The most frequent type of interaction was pharmacodynamic interaction (50.42%), with risk level C (35.53%) and moderate severity (69.07%). The most common interactions were between chemotherapy drugs and supportive drugs (46.47%). The recommended management of potential drug interactions in cancer patients includes providing a time gap between drug administrations.