Are 5-7 Days of Folic Acid Supplementation Necessary prior to Pemetrexed?Observations from a Case Series

Benjamin R. Griffin; Elisabeth K. Stephens; Aminah Jatoi

doi:10.1159/000353573

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Are 5-7 Days of Folic Acid Supplementation Necessary prior to Pemetrexed?Observations from a Case Series

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Are 5-7 Days of Folic Acid Supplementation Necessary prior to Pemetrexed?Observations from a Case Series

Benjamin R. Griffin, Elisabeth K. Stephens and Aminah Jatoi

Case reports in oncology, Vol.6(2), pp.339-342

01/01/2013

DOI: 10.1159/000353573

PMCID: PMC3724129

PMID: 23898278

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Abstract

Objective: Current regulatory guidelines advise 5-7 days of folic acid supplementation prior to pemetrexed. Although taking folic acid during and after pemetrexed therapy is important, it remains unclear whether premedication is truly necessary, particularly as it can be inconvenient for patients, can contribute to their anxiety by delaying chemotherapy, and can create challenges in scheduling chemotherapy. Methods and Results: We retrospectively sought to identify and evaluate outcomes among non-small cell lung cancer patients who received less than the advised folic acid premedication. Only 8 patients were identified. However, upon critical examination of first-cycle chemotherapy outcomes, we observed no major adverse events with a shortened course of folic acid premedication. Conclusion: In the very rare circumstance where urgent therapy is warranted, a healthcare provider can lookto this small case series and find modest precedent for the safe administration of pemetrexed in the absence of a full week of folic acid premedication. (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Oncology

Science & Technology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Are 5-7 Days of Folic Acid Supplementation Necessary prior to Pemetrexed?Observations from a Case Series
Creators: Benjamin R. Griffin - Mayo Clinic
Elisabeth K. Stephens - Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN
Aminah Jatoi - Medical Oncology
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Case reports in oncology, Vol.6(2), pp.339-342
DOI: 10.1159/000353573
PMID: 23898278
PMCID: PMC3724129
NLM abbreviation: Case Rep Oncol
ISSN: 1662-6575
eISSN: 1662-6575
Publisher: Karger
Number of pages: 4
Grant note: K24CA131099 / NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Language: English
Date published: 01/01/2013
Academic Unit: Nephrology; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984359861702771

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