In clinical oncology pharmacology, polypharmacy in cancer patients creates risk of clinically significant drug-drug interactions (DDIs), mechanisms of which include pharmacokinetic interference (e.g., altered gastric pH from proton pump inhibitors affecting absorption or efficacy of oral chemotherapy) and additive pharmacodynamic effects (e.g., QT-interval prolongation from combining multiple QT-prolonging agents). Management principles include minimizing polypharmacy, systematically screening high-risk patients (those on multiple drugs with comorbid illness) for known dangerous combinations, and accounting for factors such as changes in drug levels, microbiome effects, and sex-based differences in drug handling.
In clinical oncology pharmacology, polypharmacy in cancer patients creates risk of clinically significant drug-drug interactions (DDIs), mechanisms of which include pharmacokinetic interference (e.g.…