Which of the following is an example of an acute toxicity linked to chemotherapy causing local tissue damage from leakage?

Which of the following is an example of an acute toxicity linked to chemotherapy causing local tissue damage from leakage?

• A. Extravasation or flare reactions
• B. Bone marrow suppression
• C. Alopecia
• D. Delayed nausea and vomiting

Answer: (A)

Extravasation of vesicant chemotherapy into the surrounding tissue is the example here. When a drug that harms cells leaks out of the vein, it causes immediate local injury—pain, redness, swelling, blistering, and potentially tissue necrosis. This is an acute, site-specific toxicity because the damage occurs at the infusion site rather than being distributed systemically. Flare or local inflammatory reactions can accompany the leakage as the tissue responds to the irritant. Management centers on stopping the infusion, keeping the catheter in place to aspirate any remaining drug, and applying agent-specific measures (such as antidotes when available) to limit tissue injury. In contrast, the other options describe systemic toxicities that affect the whole body—bone marrow suppression affects blood cell counts, alopecia is hair loss from widespread cellular effects, and delayed nausea and vomiting reflects GI tract mucosal damage rather than local tissue injury from leakage.

Extravasation of vesicant chemotherapy into the surrounding tissue is the example here. When a drug that harms cells leaks out of the vein, it causes immediate local injury—pain, redness, swelling, blistering, and potentially tissue necrosis. This is an acute, site-specific toxicity because the damage occurs at the infusion site rather than being distributed systemically. Flare or local inflammatory reactions can accompany the leakage as the tissue responds to the irritant. Management centers on stopping the infusion, keeping the catheter in place to aspirate any remaining drug, and applying agent-specific measures (such as antidotes when available) to limit tissue injury. In contrast, the other options describe systemic toxicities that affect the whole body—bone marrow suppression affects blood cell counts, alopecia is hair loss from widespread cellular effects, and delayed nausea and vomiting reflects GI tract mucosal damage rather than local tissue injury from leakage.