Search

Background: As there are few data worldwide concerning the frequency and relevance of interactions of prescribed drugs in hemato-oncology, we analyzed the medication prescribed to patients at a clinic within a comprehensive cancer center. Methods: Details of the medication prescribed for all patients in 2011 were extracted from their discharge letters. All potential medication combinations were assess with respect to the risk of interaction using 3 specialized websites. Results: The files of 202 patients receiving 275 drugs were extracted; 4,303 drug combinations were created. Overall, 88% of these combinations were found to be harmless with an interaction value (IV) of 1. However 10% showed potential risk of probable interaction (IV 2 + 3). 47% of the patients had at least 1 drug combination with a risk of interaction. A maximum of 29 drugs with 15 probable and possible interactions were found. Conclusion: Awareness for this topic should be raised in physicians and patients. An important step for avoiding risks of interactions is a systematic check of all drugs prescribed. There is urgent need for reliable data on clinically relevant interactions and for a better network in which physicians and pharmacists can exchange data about relevant interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, the Internet has become an important source of information for cancer patients. Various cancer diets that are publicized on the Web promise significant benefits. The aim of our study was to evaluate the quality of online patient information about cancer diets. Materials and Methods: A patient's search for 'cancer diets' on German websites was simulated using the search engine Google. The websites were evaluated utilizing a standardized instrument with formal and content aspects. Results: An analysis of 60 websites revealed that websites from nonprofit associations as well as self-help groups offer the best content and formal ranking. Websites whose owners aim to make a profit, practices that offer cancer diet therapies, and newspapers received the poorest quality score. The majority of content provided on the Web gets published by profitoriented content groups. Conclusion: The divergence between profit-driven websites offering low-quality content and the few trustworthy websites on cancer diets is enormous. The information given online about cancer diets may turn out to be a hazardous pitfall. In order to present evidence-based information about cancer diets, online information should be replenished to create a more accurate picture and give higher visibility to the right information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]