mg/m2

Medical abbreviation · Prescription

mg/m2
Stands forMilligrams per square meter
CategoriesMedical

mg/m2 stands for Milligrams per square meter, a prescription abbreviation.

Dose expressed per square meter of body surface area (BSA), the standard basis for most chemotherapy and some other drugs whose clearance correlates with body size. BSA is calculated from height and weight.

Example: Cisplatin 75 mg/m2 IV day 1; BSA 1.86 m2, dose 140 mg.

Usage notes

The Mosteller formula, the square root of height in cm times weight in kg divided by 3600, published in 1987, is the most widely used BSA calculation. ASCO guidelines from 2012 recommend full weight-based chemotherapy doses for obese patients rather than routine capping at 2 m2. Two independent checks of the BSA and calculated dose are standard in oncology pharmacies.

More prescription abbreviations

  • LD – Loading dose
  • mane – Mane (in the morning)
  • mcg – Microgram
  • mcg/kg/min – Micrograms per kilogram per minute
  • mEq – Milliequivalent
  • mg/kg – Milligrams per kilogram
  • mL/h – Milliliters per hour
  • nocte – Nocte (at night)
  • non rep – Non repetatur (do not repeat)
  • NR – No refills
  • NTE – Not to exceed
  • OD – Omni die (once daily)

See all 77 prescription abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.

This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.