Observations placeholder
Ifosfamide hallucinations
Identifier
006966
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Ifosfamide (also marketed as Ifex) is a nitrogen mustard alkylating agent used in the treatment of cancer. It is sometimes abbreviated "IFO". It is given as a treatment for a variety of cancers, including:
- Testicular cancer
- Breast cancer
- Lymphoma (Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's)
- Soft tissue sarcoma
- Osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer
- Lung cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Ovarian cancer
A description of the experience
Ifosfamide-induced neurotoxicity.Curtin JP, Koonings PP, Gutierrez M, Schlaerth JB, Morrow CP.1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women's Hospital, Los Angeles, California 90033.
Ifosfamide is an active chemotherapeutic agent in a wide range of gynecologic tumors; favorable response rates have been reported in ovarian (epithelial and germ cell), uterine, and cervical neoplasms.
Central neurotoxicity is a known, but poorly described side effect.
We report 23 patients who received a total of 75 cycles of ifosfamide, either as a single agent or in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents.
Six of twenty-three (26%) experienced grade 4 neurotoxicity; clinical presentation included confusion, aphasia, hallucinations, and coma.
All patients exhibited the first evidence of neurotoxicity by the end of the 24-hr infusion.
Three of six patients with grade 4 neurotoxicity expired within 14 days of receiving ifosfamide.
The neurotoxicity resolved over 2 to 4 days in the remaining patients. Serum albumin was normal (greater than 3.5 g/dl) in 63 cycles of ifosfamide not associated with neurotoxicity. When serum albumin was less than 3.5 g/dl, 6 of 12 cycles were associated with severe neurotoxicity (P less than 0.001). Low serum albumin (less than 3.5 g/dl) appears to be associated with a high risk of severe neurotoxicity in patients receiving single-dose ifosfamide therapy.
PMID:1955179