Immune System and Malignancy Flashcards
What is azathioprine metabolised to?
Mercaptopurine
What two drugs when given together reduce the risk of organ rejection?
Azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil
Which immunosuppressant is licensed for renal transplantation?
Sirolimus
When is multiple sclerosis considered as active?
When two clinically significant relapses occur within the last 2 years
What is thought to be a risk factor for multiple sclerosis?
Vitamin D deficiency
What increases the progression of dsiability in multiple sclerosis?
smoking
How do you treat MS relapses?
1st line: oral methylprednisolone
2nd line: IV methylprednisolone
What can be used for MS related fatigue?
Amantadine
SSRI
Modafinil
What is licensed for walking disability in MS?
Fampridine
How is spasticity managed in MS?
1st line: baclofen
2nd line: gabapentin
3rd line: combination of both
4th line: 4-week trial of cannabis extract for moderate-severe spasticity
How is oscillopsia treated in MS?
1st line: gabapetin
2nd line: memantine
How do you treat emotional reliability in MS?
Amitriptyline
What are some common side effects of cytotoxic drugs?
Extravasation of IV drugs
Oral mucositis
Tumour lysis syndrome
Hyperuricaemia
Bone marrow suppression - usually 7-10 days after administration
Alopecia
Thromboembolism
Which cytotoxic drugs are most associated with oral mucositis?
Fluorouracil, methotrexate and the anthracyclines
What are the predisposing factors of tumour lysis syndrome?
Non-hodgkins lymphoma
Burkitt’s lymphoma
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Acute myeloid leukaemia
Occasionally solid tumours
Pre-existing hyperuricaemia, dehydration, and renal imapirment
Who is most at risk of hyperuricaemia and how is it prevented?
High-grade lymphoma and leukaemia
Allopurinol should be started 24 hours before treatment and patients should be adequately hydrated (reduce doses of mercaptopurine and azathioprine is this is used in conjunction)
Febuxostat may be used and started 2 days before cytotoxic treatment
What drug is licensed for hyperuricaemia in patients with haematological malignancy?
Rasburicase
What are the only two cytotoxic drugs that do not cause bone marrow suppression?
Vincristine sulfate
Bleomycin
What drugs carry the risk of permanent male sterility?
Alkylating drug or procarbazine
What are the mildly emetogenic cytotoxic treatments?
Fluorouracil
Etoposide
Methotreaxte (less than 100mg/m2)
Vinica alkaloids
Abdominal radiotherapy
What are the moderately emetogenic cytotoxic treatments?
The taxanes
Doxorubicin
Intermediate and low doses of cyclophosphamide
Mitoxantrone
High doses of methotrexate (0.1-1.2g/m2)
What are the highly emetogenic cytotoxic treatments?
Cisplatin
Dacarbazine
High doses of cyclophosphamide
How do you prevent acute N/V for low-risk emesis patients?
Pre-treatment with dexamethasone or lorazepam
How do you prevent acute N/V for high-risk emesis patients?
5HT3-receptor antagonist (e.g. ondansetron) by mouth in combination with dexamethasone and aprepitant
How do you prevent delayed N/V?
Moderately emetogenic chemotherapy: dexamethasone and 5HT3-receptor antagonist
Highly emetogenic chemotherapy: dexamethasone and aprepitant
How do you prevent anticipatory N/V?
Lorazepam
What is used for methotrexate overdose?
Folinic acid
Does folinic acid interact with antibacterial activity?
No it does not counteract antibacterial activity of folate antagonists such as trimethoprim
How do you improve metastatic colorectal cancer response-rate?
Add folinic acid with fluorouracil
Are calcium folinate and calcium levofolinate bioequivalent?
No, the dose of calcium levofolinic is generally half that of calcium folinate
What is used to prevent haemorrhagic cystitis from urothelial toxicity with cyclophosphamide?
Mesna
What group of drugs should be avoided with radiotherapy?
Anthracyclines (e.g. doxorubicin)- act as radiomimetics = may increase toxicity
What is used in men and pre-menopausal women with oestrogen-receptor-positive invasive breast cancer?
Tamoxifen
What are the contraindications of methotreaxte?
Active infection
Ascites
Immunodeficiency syndromes
Significant pleural effusion
Avoid in active peptic ulcerations
What increases the risk of methotrexate toxicity?
Advanced age
Renal impairment
Concomitant use with other anti-folates e.g. trimethoprim
What blood test changes would you discontinue methotrexate immediately due to?
A drop it white blood cells
Drop in platelet count
What do you do if a patient develops stomatitis or diarrhoea while taking methotreaxte?
Withdraw as may be first sign of GI toxicity
What type of toxicities are associated with methotreaxte?
GI toxicity
Photosensitivity - skin ulcerations reported
Liver toxicity - liver cirrhosis reported (LFTs)
Pulmonary toxicity - may be a special problem in rheumatoid arthritis
What symptoms are suggestive of pulmonary toxicity with methotrexate?
Dyspnoea
Cough
Fever