查看文章

There are few fields of medicine in which the individualisation of medicines is more important than in the area of oncology. Under‐dosing can have significant ramifications due to the potential for therapeutic failure and cancer progression; by contrast, over‐dosing may lead to severe treatment‐limiting side effects, such as agranulocytosis and neutropenia. Both circumstances lead to poor patient prognosis and contribute to the high mortality rates still seen in oncology. The concept of dose individualisation tailors dosing for each individual patient to ensure optimal drug exposure and best clinical outcomes. While the value of this strategy is well recognised, it has seen little translation to clinical application. However, it is important to recognise that the clinical setting of oncology is unlike that for which therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is currently the cornerstone of therapy (e.g. antimicrobials). Whilst there is much to …