OBJECTIVES:

This study assessed the utilization of anticancer drugs at the first course of breast and cervical cancers chemotherapies over a five-year period (2012 - 2016) in Oncology unit of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Kaduna State.

METHODS:

This retrospective study audited 1000 randomly selected folders (100 folders each for breast and cervical cancer per year), resulting in 500 folder each for breast and cervical cancer patients. Patients’ demographics, anticancer and antiemetic drugs administered, dosage form, and strength were abstracted and documented. Only data of female patients who were diagnosed of breast and cervical cancers and who were placed on chemotherapy were studied. Only the anticancer and antiemetic drugs administered at the first course for initiation of chemotherapy were extracted for this study. The drug utilization was measured using number of the treatment units (Vials/ampules) of each of the anticancer and antiemetic drugs. The treatment units (TUs) were calculated as total number of the utilized doses (mg) divided by the unit dosage (mg) of the drug. The results were presented in frequencies and percentages.

RESULTS:

About 79% of the anticancer drugs were prescribed by their generic names. The most utilized anticancer drugs for initiation of chemotherapy within the study period for breast versus cervical cancer were Cisplatin (412 vs 470 TUs), 5-Fluorouracil (346 vs 230 TUs), and Paclitaxel (210 vs 30 TUs). The widely utilized antiemetic agents for breast versus cervical cancer were Dexamethasone (970 vs 630 TUs), Metoclopramide (610 vs 160 TUs), and Ondansetron (540 vs 150 TUs). Year by year analysis showed an increasing trend in utilization of all the anticancer and antiemetic drugs for both breast and cervical cancers.

CONCLUSIONS:

Cisplatin and Dexamethasone were most utilized anticancer and antiemetic drugs respectively for initiation of chemotherapy for both breast and cervical cancers in the studied hospital.