1. What is Chemotherapy Dose Calculation?

Chemotherapy dose calculation using Body Surface Area (BSA) is a standard method for determining appropriate drug dosages in cancer treatment. It helps personalize the dose based on patient size to maximize efficacy while minimizing toxicity.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the standard chemotherapy dose formula:

Where:

• \( D_{m2} \) — Dose per square meter (mg/m²)
• \( BSA \) — Body Surface Area (m²)
• \( Dose \) — Total calculated dose (mg)

Explanation: The equation multiplies the standard dose per square meter by the patient's body surface area to determine the total dose.

3. Importance of BSA in Chemotherapy

Details: BSA correlates better with metabolic rate and drug clearance than body weight alone. Accurate BSA-based dosing helps achieve therapeutic drug levels while reducing side effects.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the drug's standard dose per m² (from protocols) and the patient's calculated BSA (from Mosteller or DuBois formulas). Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why use BSA instead of weight for chemo doses?
A: BSA better correlates with metabolic processes that affect drug metabolism and excretion compared to body weight alone.

Q2: How is BSA calculated?
A: Common formulas include Mosteller (√[height(cm)×weight(kg)/3600]) and DuBois (0.007184×height^0.725×weight^0.425).

Q3: Are there exceptions to BSA dosing?
A: Yes, some drugs use weight-based dosing or have maximum dose limits regardless of BSA.

Q4: How often should BSA be recalculated?
A: BSA should be recalculated if patient weight changes by >10% or at regular intervals during prolonged treatment.

Q5: What about obese patients?
A: Some protocols use adjusted body weight or cap the BSA at a maximum value for obese patients.