The Use of Body Surface Area as a Criterion of Drug Dosage in Cancer Chemotherapy^*

The rationale for the use of body surface area as the criterion of dosage in anticancer chemotherapy has been outlined. The similarity in the dosage per unit of surface area of methotrexate, mechlorethamine, actinomycin D, and TSPA for certain laboratory animals and man is described. This is in contrast to the dissimilarity in the dosages per unit of weight for these compounds among laboratory animals and man, and among humans of different ages.

It is suggested that cancer chemotherapists consider the applicability of body surface area as a criterion of drug dosage in their laboratory and clinical studies.