Chemotherapy-induced Electrolyte Disorder and Nephrotoxicity in Cancer Patients from Selected Nigerian Tertiary Health Care Hospitals.

Abstract

Background: Chemotherapy is an important treatment modality widely employed for cancer management. The study investigated nephrotoxicity and electrolytes disorders induced by chemotherapy in the cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy in selected Nigerian Tertiary Health care.

Methodology: The participants of the study comprised 130 cancer patients aged 18- 70 years, purposively recruited from three medical centers in south-west Nigeria. Participants’ socio-demographics and chemotherapy administered were obtained using questionnaire. Three milliliters of blood sample was collected intravenously from the participants before and after the last course of chemotherapy, and centrifuged at 3000rpm for 10 minutes to obtain serum. The levels of electrolytes, creatinine, and urea in the serum samples were determined spectrophotometrically by automated Roche Hitachi 912 Chemistry Auto-Analyzer. The estimated glomeruli filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using creatinine based Ukidney online eGFR-calculator while nephrotoxicity was determined according to U.S National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse events version 4.0. Collected data were expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean using IBM- SPSS version 22.0 software.  T- test were employed to test for significance at P < 0.05.

Results: Findings from the study revealed significant decrease in the pre-chemotherapy sodium, potassium, chloride ion levels and eGFR as compared to that of post chemotherapy. Also, a significant increase in the pre-chemotherapy creatinine and urea levels as compared to that of post chemotherapy was observed.

Conclusion: Overall, the significant reduction in the electrolyte profiles and estimated eGFR alongside with the significant increase in the mean creatinine and urea profiles recorded after chemotherapy administration confirmed chemotherapy-induced electrolytes disorders and renal toxicity in the cancer participants