Side effects of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and 5‐fluorouracil (CMF) chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Abstract

A most important implication of these findings is that the incidence of a side effect is not a reliable guide to the significance of the problem in terms of patient well-being; alopecia may be the most common problem identified, but it does not appear to be the problem that is most troublesome to patients. To further understand and alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy, the following measures are necessary. Patient education should be based on detailed, regimen-specific information. Routine, systematic assessment of the individual patient's side effects is desirable. Because many side effects appear to be controlled only moderately, healthcare providers must work toward more sophisticated, holistic symptom management strategies.