Patient Information Sheet
Bortezomib (marketed as Velcade)
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This is a summary of the most important information about Velcade. For details, talk to
your healthcare professional.
What is Velcade used for?
Velcade is a chemotherapy medicine (a medicine used to kill cancer cells) that is indicated for the treatment of patients with:
- Multiple myeloma who have already been treated with at least one other type of chemotherapy medicine
- Mantle cell lymphoma who have already been treated with at least one other type of chemotherapy medicine
Velcade should not be the first chemotherapy medicine that is used to treat multiple myeloma or mantle cell lymphoma.
Velcade has been shown to increase the response rate, time to disease progression, and survival for patients with myeloma who have progressed on one or more prior therapies.
Who should not be treated with Velcade?
Do not use Velcade if you are allergic to bortezomib, boron, or mannitol.
Special Warning(s) with Velcade:
- Velcade may cause peripheral neuropathy, a condition that includes numbness, pain, or a burning feeling in the feet or hands.
- Velcade may decrease blood pressure, causing
dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting spells.
- Velcade can cause or worsen congestive heart
failure in patients with heart disease or who have risk factors
for heart disease.
- Velcade may cause severe nausea, diarrhea,
constipation, or vomiting, which may lead to dehydration (loss of
body fluids).
- Velcade may decrease the number of platelets
in the blood, causing easier bruising and bleeding.
Call your healthcare provider right away if you
get any of the above side effects.
What should I tell my doctor or healthcare
provider?
Tell your healthcare provider if you:
- have or had liver or kidney problems
- have or had a history of heart disease
- are trying to become pregnant, are already
pregnant, or are breast-feeding
Tell your healthcare provider about all the
medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription
medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your
healthcare provider if you take:
- amiodarone
- antiviral medicines
- isoniazid
- nitrofurantoin
- cholesterol medicines called ‘statins’
- diabetes medicines
- blood pressure medicines
These medicines may affect how Velcade works,
or Velcade may affect how these medicines work. Some medicines may
also cause the same side effects as Velcade, leading to more severe
side effects.
What are some possible side effects of
Velcade? (This is NOT a complete list of side effects
reported with Velcade. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist can
discuss with you a more complete list of side effects.)
Some common side effects with Velcade include:
- fatigue, tiredness, weakness
- nausea
- diarrhea
- decreased appetite
- constipation
- decreased blood counts
- peripheral neuropathy
- fever
- vomiting
- anemia
- dizziness
For more detailed information about Velcade,
ask your healthcare provider.
Link
to Velcade's Approved Labeling
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Date Created: June
13, 2003; Updated: February 1 , 2007
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