Supportive care is intended to meet patients' physical, informational, emotional, psychological, social, spiritual, and practical needs. But, while the term 'supportive care' encompasses more than drug therapy, the discussion here is limited to regimens involving drug therapy. Such supportive care regimens are used to relieve or minimize the symptoms caused by cancer drug therapy, radiation therapy and the cancer itself.

Many of these regimens, or protocols, have been developed over time and modified by practitioners according to local needs. Here, we provide a compilation and summary of protocols from many institutions. This information can be used as a reference source and starting point for the management of these common problems.

For more information on the process for reviewing and adding regimens, see Formulary Processes .

Gastrointestinal

Nausea and Vomiting

• Figure I - Emetogenic Potential of Individual Chemotherapeutic Agents (rev 04/10)
• Figure II - Determination of Hesketh level of emetic potential of chemotherapy regimens
• Figure III - Equivalent doses of commercially available 5HT3receptor antagonists
• Figure IV - Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting in Adults (rev 04/10)

Links to additional sources of information that may be useful in supportive care of cancer patients are provided under Related Resources. Although the CCO recommends these additional web resources, this does not imply that the Drug Formulary endorses unconventional therapies.