Investigation of prescription data of cancer patients: insights from a specialized hospital in Dhaka

Abstract

Cancer is a significant global public health concern with 10 million cancer-related deaths and 19.3 million new cases recorded in 2020. Developing countries with inadequate healthcare systems are disproportionately affected. This study analyzes prescription data of 34 cancer patients that were collected from a prior study. The prescription analysis revealed breast, lung, and colorectal cancers as the most prevalent, with most patients diagnosed in advanced stages, primarily in stages II and IV. Chemotherapy emerged as the primary treatment modality, with 5-FU and Cisplatin being the most commonly prescribed drugs. In addition to this, drugs like Pantoprazole, Esomeprazole, Pregabalin, Enaxoparin Sodium, Mannitol, Pethidine, Clidium Bromide, albumin, Dihydrophenamin were also prescribed but no drug-drug interaction was found. 16 out of 34 patients experienced pain during their treatment but only 2 patients were found to be prescribed with painkillers. According to the study, eight out of thirty-four patients reported an improvement in their physical condition after taking medication, whereas eighteen patients reported no change in their physical state.