Topic overview

Start with the big picture

Special-population chemotherapy requires balancing treatment needs with patient-specific risks. Pregnancy and lactation call for particular caution, while fertility considerations may prompt preservation planning before treatment. In children, treatment can be associated with late toxicities; in older adults, reduced organ and marrow reserve and polypharmacy are relevant. Renal or hepatic impairment, obesity, and pharmacogenomic variants can also influence drug selection or dosing. The wider lesson organizes these considerations by population and clinical circumstance, including G6PD deficiency, HIV-positive patients, transplant recipients, post-transplant relapse, poor performance status, and drug interactions. This preview introduces that structure; the full lesson develops the considerations in greater detail.