Childhood Cancer

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Childhood Cancer

Dosages

Dosages vary by protocol, but most are based on your child’s weight or body surface area (BSA). BSA is calculated from your child’s weight and height, and it is measured in meters squared (m2). Your child’s doses should be recalculated by the doctor at the beginning of each new phase of treatment. Recalculating doses more frequently is necessary if your child experiences significant weight gain or loss (more than 10% of initial weight).

My son’s protocol required that his height and weight be measured each time chemotherapy was to start. When we would arrive in clinic, the nurses would take his measurements, then calculate his body surface area using those figures. His weight fluctuated considerably over the course of his treatment, so the actual dosage of the drugs that he received was never quite the same.

You do not need to do the calculations, but it is important to know the appropriate dosage for each drug given at home and how you should give it to your child. Many parents write the dosages for each drug on a calendar and cross them out after each dose has been given to make sure they don’t forget a dose or accidentally repeat a dose.

How chemotherapy drugs are givenDifferent responses to medications

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