Chemotherapy Dose and Dose Intensity: Analyzing Data to Guide Therapeutic Decisions

Purpose/Objectives: To provide key examples from the oncology literature related to chemotherapy dose/dose intensity to guide nurses in evidence-based decision making.

Data Sources: Published articles and abstracts of scientific findings and clinical trials.

Data Synthesis: Understanding tumor biology and growth kinetics is essential in determining optimal approaches to cancer treatment and goal setting in cancer care.

Conclusions: Therapeutic decision making ideally should be data driven. Dose and dose intensity can make a difference in therapeutic outcomes. Additional research with well-designed clinical trials, incorporating recent advances in cancer biology, is needed to define more distinctly the role of dose/dose intensity related to specific tumor types.

Implications for Practice: Establish therapeutic goals at initiation of therapy, and communicate them clearly with patients, families, and the rest of the healthcare team.