Pharmacovigilance in oncology.

Background Side effects of cancer therapy are one of the most important issues faced by cancer patients during their illness. Pharmacovigilance, namely the science and activities aimed at monitoring the safety of drugs, is particularly important in oncology, due to the intrinsic biologic toxicity of antineoplastic agents, their narrow therapeutic windows, and the high doses and rigid timing of treatment regimens. Aim of the review To identify the main issues in carrying out an effective pharmacovigilance activity in oncology.

A pilot project of a cancer patient library in Italy: results of a customer-satisfaction survey and its products.

Aims: The purpose of this study is to determine the degree of satisfaction of users of the Cancer Information Point section of the Library for Patients (CIP-LP), active since 1998 at the National Cancer Institute of Aviano, Italy. The CIP-LP is based on a skilled intermediary, adequate informative material and a specific location, within the Scientific Library of the Institute.

Patients And Methods: A survey was developed to assess service functionality and quality from the users' viewpoint.