Table 3.

Common solid tumour chemotherapy toxicities¹⁹

Class of drug	Drug name	Cancer sites	Common toxicity
Alkylating agents	Carboplatin	Ovarian and small cell lung cancers, germ cell tumours	Ototoxicity, myelosuppression
	Cisplatin	Testicular, lung, cervical, bladder, head and neck, and ovarian cancers	Nephrotoxicity, myelosuppression
	Ifosfamide	Germ cell tumours	Urothelial toxicity, myelosuppression
	Lomustine	Hodgkin's, malignant melanoma, glioblastoma multiforme and neuroendocrine tumours	Myelosuppression
	Temozolomide	Glioblastoma multiforme and malignant glioma	Hepatotoxicity, myelodysplastic syndromes, secondary malignancy, myelosuppression
Antimetabolites	5-Fluorouracil, capecitabine	Gastrointestinal and breast cancers	Patients with DPD deficiency are at increased risk of severe and fatal toxicity, cardiotoxicity, myelosuppression
	Gemcitabine	Non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic, bladder, ovarian and breast cancers	Myelosuppression
	Pemetrexed	Mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer	Myelosuppression
	Raltitrexed	Colorectal cancer	Myelosuppression
Antitumor antibiotic	Doxorubicin	Ovarian and breast cancers	Cardiotoxicity, myelosuppression
	Epirubicin	Breast, gastric, small cell lung, ovarian and colorectal cancers	Chemical cystitis, myelosuppression
	Bleomycin	Germ cell tumours	Pulmonary toxicity, myelosuppression
Topoisomerase inhibitors	Irinotecan	Colorectal cancer	Thromboembolism, interstitial lung disease, myelosuppression
	Etoposide	Small cell lung cancer and germ cell tumours	Myelosuppression
Mitotic inhibitors	Docetaxel	Breast, non-small cell lung cancer, gastric, head and neck, and prostate cancers	Myelosuppression, hepatotoxicity
	Eribulin	Breast	Myelosuppression
	Paclitaxel	Breast, ovarian, non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancers	Cardiotoxicity, interstitial lung disease, myelosuppression
	Vincristine, vinorelbine	Breast and lung cancers	Myelosuppression, peripheral neuropathy
Glucocorticoids	Prednisolone, dexamethasone	Multiple tumour types	Adrenal insufficiency, weight gain, hyperglycaemia

DPD = dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase.