What can be a consequence of administering certain chemotherapy drugs intrathecally instead of intravenously?

Administering certain chemotherapy drugs intrathecally can lead to severe adverse effects, which may result in life-threatening complications and, in some cases, patient death. This route of administration involves delivering medication directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), bypassing the blood-brain barrier. While this can be beneficial for treating certain types of cancers within the central nervous system, it also comes with significant risk.

The potential for serious adverse effects arises because the intrathecal administration of drugs that are not specifically formulated for this route can lead to neurotoxicity, seizures, or other neurological deficits. Moreover, improper dosing can enhance the risk of these severe effects, making it a critical aspect of chemotherapy administration that must be managed carefully.

In contrast, while enhanced therapeutic benefit or improved survival rates might be expected outcomes from the right drugs used correctly, these are not guaranteed and, in some cases, ill-advised drug choices lead to toxicity. The option indicating no significant difference in outcomes does not account for the pronounced risks associated with improper intrathecal use of certain drugs, which can indeed have severe ramifications. Thus, the major concern with intrathecal chemotherapy remains the potential for dire adverse effects that can compromise patient safety.