Current status and problems in the chemotherapy of our outpatient clinic in the department of clinical oncology

The department of clinical oncology performed an analysis of the current situation and problems inherent to 4500 chemotherapies of the outpatient clinic for the last 20 months using a new department of the outpatient clinical treatment. Divided into primary organs and the application of chemotherapy are as follow: breast cancer 49%, and gastrointestinal cancer 47% (esophageal cancer 4%, stomach cancer 28%, colorectal cancer 15%) and others 4%. In terms of time consumed by chemotherapy, there were differences in the tumors, regimens and ages. Within one hour, 40% of all chemotherapies mainly included those of breast cancers. From one to two hours, 40% included half breast cancers and half gastro-intestinal cancers, two to three hours, 15% the same as one to two hours. Over 3 hours, 5% mainly include those of gastro-intestinal cancers. In outpatient clinical chemotherapy, there were no human errors such as the use of wrong drugs and wrong intravenous injections. There were a few patients with adverse effects of chemotherapy including high fever with bone marrow suppression and severe diarrhea, who had an emergency admission to the hospital. As we perform an outpatient clinical chemotherapy with safe, it is important to coordinate with family doctors. To decrease the patients' effort of outpatient clinic, we request the treatment of high fever and the dose of G-CSF for bone marrow suppression to family doctors. The outpatient clinical chemotherapy enables to offer the suitable tailor-made treatment for each individual and to control the adverse effects of any regimen. But, patients' waiting period is still longer due to lack of numbers of doctors. To improve these statuses, careful consideration will be required for the trusting relationship with paramedical staffs' in the Department of Clinical Oncology.