Gemcitabine Health Article

Definition

Gemcitabine is a drug that is used to treat advanced stages of pancreatic, lung, and other cancers. Its brand name is Gemzar.

Purpose

Gemcitabine is used to treat pancreatic cancer, particularly when it has metastasized, or spread to other parts of the body (Stage IVB). In combination with the drug cisplatin, gemcitabine is the first-line treatment for inoperable, metastasized non-small cell lung cancer. Sometimes it is used to treat cancers of the bladder or breast, or epithelial ovarian cancer.

Description

Gemcitabine is a relatively new anti-cancer drug. It is a type of medicine called a pyrimidine antimetabolite because it interferes with the metabolism and growth of cells. It does this by replacing the pyrimidine deoxycytidine in DNA, thereby preventing the DNA from being manufactured or repaired. As a result, cells cannot reproduce and eventually die.

Gemcitabine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It may relieve pain and other symptoms of advanced pancreatic cancer and increase survival time by several weeks to two months. Clinical studies of pancreatic cancer are comparing the effectiveness of combination treatments using gemcitabine with 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, streptozocin, or radiation therapy. Gemcitabine has activity against metastatic bladder cancer and recurrent ovarian cancer, and further clinical trials are underway. Gemcitabine is being evaluated for its effectiveness in the treatment of uterine, stomach, laryngeal and hypopharyngeal, and colon and rectal cancers.

Recommended dosage

Gemcitabine is administered by injection over a period of 30 minutes. The dosage and number of administrations depend on a variety of factors, including the type of cancer, body size, and other concurrent treatments.

Precautions

Gemcitabine may temporarily reduce the number of white blood cells, particularly during the first 10-14 days after administration. A low white blood cell count reduces the body's ability to fight infection. Thus, it is very important to avoid exposure to infections and to receive prompt medical treatment. Immunizations (vaccinations) should be avoided during or after treatment with gemcitabine. It also is important to avoid contact with individuals who have recently taken an oral polio vaccine. Treatment with gemcitabine may cause chicken pox or shingles (herpes zoster) to become very severe and spread to other parts of the body.

Gemcitabine also may lower the blood platelet count. Platelets are necessary for normal blood clotting. The risk of bleeding may be reduced by using caution when cleaning teeth, avoiding dental work, and avoiding cuts, bruises, or other injuries.

Gemcitabine can cause birth defects and fetal death in animals. Therefore, this drug should not be taken by pregnant women or by either the man or woman at the time of conception. Women usually are advised against breast-feeding while taking this drug.