What Is Therapeutic Drug Management?
Therapeutic Drug Management (TDM) is the measurement and adjustment of specific drugs at intervals in order to maintain a target range concentration of the medication in the bloodstream.
Drugs that are monitored and managed in this way tend to 
have a narrow “therapeutic range”, meaning that – the quantity required to be effective is close to the quantity that causes significant side effects and/or toxicity.
Maintaining this optimal range is not as simple as giving a standard dose of medication to all patients. Each person will absorb, metabolize, utilize, and eliminate drugs at a different rate based upon their age, general state of health, genetic makeup, and the interference of other medications that they are taking. This rate may change over time and vary from day to day.
How Does TDM Work?
Through years of testing, the optimum therapeutic range for selected drug blood levels has been determined. Within this range, the optimal balance of efficacy and toxicity is achieved without excessive side effects or symptoms of toxicity. The drug dosage to reach this level must be individually determined using tests like the Saladax PCM® Assays.
How Will MyCare Blood Tests Help Me?
Personalized medicine makes it possible to give each individual patient "the appropriate dose at the appropriate time". The benefits of this approach are in its accuracy, efficacy, and safety. For example, clinical studies in patients treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for colorectal cancer have demonstrated that 67% of patients were not receiving sufficient drug dosing to optimally combat their disease when dosed by BSA, which is the current standard of care; and another 18% were overdosed. Only 15% of patients in this study received the optimal 5-FU dose to balance toxicities against best clinical outcomes. Among those patients whose 5-FU dosage was adjusted based upon blood drug levels, response rates and overall survival were doubled. In addition, severe 5-FU-attributed side effects were found to be significantly lower, resulting in improved quality of life.
How Simple Are MyCare Blood Tests?
The MyCare blood tests are prescribed by the treating oncologist at the start of your chemotherapy. MyCare5-FU testing will require one blood draw during your continuous infusion and your blood sample will be forwarded to a laboratory for analysis. Based on the actual 5-FU drug concentration in your blood, as well as other signs and symptoms from clinical examinations, your physician will determine if dose adjustments are right for you.