What is Combination Chemotherapy?
Updated September 26, 2013.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Definition:
Combination chemotherapy is a regimen of two or more medications given together to treat cancer. A combination drug protocol is created based on three principles:
Common examples of combination chemotherapy drug regimes used in the treatment of blood cancers are CHOP (Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisone) for lymphoma, VAD (Vincristine, Doxorubicin, Dexamethasone) for myeloma, or FLAG-Ida (Fludarabine, Cytarabine, and Idarubicin) for leukemia.
Sources
Goodman, M. Chemotherapy: Principles of Administration. In Yarbro, C., Frogge, M., Goodman, M., Groenwald, S. eds(2000) Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practice 5th ed American Cancer Society, Jones and Bartlett: Sudbury, MA.
Written or reviewed by a board-certified physician. See About.com's Medical Review Board.
Definition:
Combination chemotherapy is a regimen of two or more medications given together to treat cancer. A combination drug protocol is created based on three principles:
- The medications should show an effect on the cancer when used alone
- The medications should not have overlapping toxic effects
- The medications must enhance the actions of the other
Common examples of combination chemotherapy drug regimes used in the treatment of blood cancers are CHOP (Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin, Vincristine, and Prednisone) for lymphoma, VAD (Vincristine, Doxorubicin, Dexamethasone) for myeloma, or FLAG-Ida (Fludarabine, Cytarabine, and Idarubicin) for leukemia.
Sources
Goodman, M. Chemotherapy: Principles of Administration. In Yarbro, C., Frogge, M., Goodman, M., Groenwald, S. eds(2000) Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practice 5th ed American Cancer Society, Jones and Bartlett: Sudbury, MA.
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