Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23229875›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of clinical pharmacy2013

Patients with advanced lung cancer: is there scope to discontinue inappropriate medication?

Adam Todd, Steve Williamson, Andy Husband, Wasim Baqir, Mairead Mahony

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of clinical pharmacy, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Reducing potentially inappropriate medications in palliative cancer patients: evidence to support deprescribing approaches.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2014
    Pooled it
  2. Pharmacist-led deprescribing interventions for cancer patients in a specialist palliative care setting.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Polypharmacy, chemotherapy receipt, and medication-related out-of-pocket costs at end of life among commercially insured adults with advanced cancer.Journal of oncology pharmacy practice : official publication of the International Society of Oncology Pharmacy Practitioners · 2022
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
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  11. Article
  12. Recommendations to support deprescribing medications late in life.International journal of clinical pharmacy · 2015
    Article
  13. The development and evaluation of an oncological palliative care deprescribing guideline: the 'OncPal deprescribing guideline'.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2015
    Article
  14. Prevalence and factors associated with polypharmacy in older people with cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2014
    Article
  15. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Adam ToddDepartment of Pharmacy, Health and Well-being, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sunderland, Wharncliffe Street, Sunderland, SR1 3SD, UK. adam.todd@durham.ac.uk
Steve Williamson
Andy Husband
Wasim Baqir
Mairead Mahony

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPolypharmacy-taking five or medications per day-is common in lung cancer patients. This patient group is prescribed medication to control acute symptoms associated with cancer and also to prevent or treat other long-term conditions. These medications increase the pill burden for the patient and also the probability of developing a drug-related toxicity.

objectiveTo assess the prevalence of inappropriate medication in patients taking erlotinib for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

methodThis was a multicentre study across three sites in the North of England. Medication histories for patients receiving erlotinib were retrospectively extracted from medical notes and assessed by the clinical team (a consultant pharmacist, nurse specialist and clinical oncologist) to determine if the medication was appropriate or inappropriate. The clinical team considered the following factors when deciding if the medication was appropriate or inappropriate: remaining life expectancy of the patient, time until benefit of the treatment, goals of care and treatment targets.

resultsAmong the 20 patients assessed, 19 (95 %) according to the clinical team were taking medications that were inappropriate. The mean number of medications the patients were taking was 8 (range 1-16) and the most common class of medication used were drugs affecting the Central Nervous System. In addition, there were 11 patients (55 %) who were taking erlotinib in combination with a proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-a clinically significant drug interaction that impairs the absorption of erlotinib.

conclusionsPatients taking erlotinib for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer take many inappropriate medications for the treatment or prevention of long-term conditions. These patients should have their medications reviewed in the context of their original therapeutic goals.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic AgentsCarcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungDrug InteractionsEnglandErlotinib HydrochlorideHumansInappropriate PrescribingLung NeoplasmsPolypharmacyPrevalenceProtein Kinase InhibitorsProton Pump InhibitorsQuinazolinesRetrospective StudiesAntineoplastic AgentsErlotinib HydrochlorideProtein Kinase InhibitorsProton Pump InhibitorsQuinazolines

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.