Doxorubicin Health Article

Definition

Doxorubicin, which kills cancer cells, is among the most widely used chemotherapy drugs. It is also known by its trade name, Adriamycin.

Purpose

This anticancer drug may be used to fight several different cancers: breast cancer, ovarian cancer, gastric (stomach) cancer, thyroid cancer, lung cancer, testicular cancer, and endometrial cancer. In addition it may be used against Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), sarcomas of the soft tissue, sarcomas of the bone (osteosarcomas), neuroblastoma, Wilms' tumor, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Because doxorubicin is used to treat so many different cancers, a complete description of how it may be combined with other medications in the treatment of each of the cancers cannot be given here. A few examples follow: In the treatment of Hodgkin's disease, for instance, one widely used chemotherapy regimen is the so-called ABVD, which consists of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine. Another is the so-called MOPP/ABV, which consists of mechlorethamine, vincristine (Oncovin), prednisone, procarbazine, doxorubicin, bleomycin, and vinblastine. Yet another is the so-called EVA: etoposide, vinblastine, and doxorubicin. Still another is the so-called EPOCH, which consists of etoposide, vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and prednisone.

Doctors may treat stage III and IV non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with the so-called m-BACOD chemotherapy regimen, which consists of methotrexate, bleomycin, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and dexamethasone. Yet another regimen called the ProMACECytaBOM, which consists of cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, etoposide, prednisone, cytarabine, bleomycin, vincristine, methotrexate, and leucovorin.

Complete remission (CR) is the total elimination of all diseased cells detectable following therapy. Continuous complete remission is CR that continues indefinitely. In the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), it has been found that the likelihood that continuous complete remission will be achieved is increased if the patient receives at least three drugs. Two of these are usually prednisone and vincristine. The third may be doxorubicin.

Description

Doxorubicin is a DNA-binding anticancer drug and belongs to an anthracycline antibiotic, although doctors do not use this drug to attack microbial infections.