ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the effects of aging on the pharmacology of antineoplastic agents. Aging involves progressive changes in organ and cellular function and in tumor growth (see Chapters 7, 12, and 18 of this volume1-3). These changes may alter the pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of drugs.4,5 Also, a progressive decline in the physiologic reserve of many organ systems may make older individuals more susceptible to the therapeutic complications of cytotoxic medications.4-10
Aging is highly individualized, and chronological age is a poor predictor of the extent of physiologic changes in each individual. The practitioner managing older patients should be aware of the diversity of the older population and should tailor antineoplastic treatment to these individual variations.
