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Other drug names: | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 |
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Doxorubicin can cause a decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow. Prolonged use of doxorubicin can also cause severe heart damage, even years after you have stopped taking doxorubicin. The risk of heart damage after stopping doxorubicin is higher in children. Tell your doctor if you have ever had chemotherapy with daunorubicin (Cerubidine, DaunoXome), doxorubicin, idarubicin (Idamycin), or radiation therapy to the chest and if you have or have had heart or liver disease. Tell your doctor if you are taking cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar) or mitoxantrone (Novantrone). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: back pain, flushing, or chest tightness. Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to doxorubicin. When doxorubicin is administered into a vein, it may leak into surrounding tissue. Your doctor or health care provider will monitor your administration site for this reaction. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking doxorubicin. |
Your doctor has ordered the drug doxorubicin to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein.
This medication is used to treat:
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Doxorubicin is a type of antibiotic that is only used in cancer chemotherapy. It slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in your body. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.
Doxorubicin is also used to treat Ewing's tumor; squamous cell carcinomas of the head, neck, cervix, and vagina; carcinomas of the testes, prostate, and uterus; and refractory multiple myeloma. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.
Before taking doxorubicin,
Side effects from doxorubicin are common and include:
Tell your doctor if either of these symptoms is severe or lasts for several hours:
If you experience any of the following symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNINGS section, call your doctor immediately:
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/index.html] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
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Last Revised -
04/01/2003
Last Reviewed -
08/01/2007
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, 2008. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
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Page last updated: 09 September 2008 |