Your doctor has ordered the drug floxuridine to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a catheter that is placed in an artery.
adenocarcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract
This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Floxuridine is in a class of drugs known as pyrimidine analogs. The drug is changed in your body to resemble a substance cancer cells need in order to grow. Cancer cells take up floxuridine, which then 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.
Floxuridine is also used to treat head, neck, brain, liver, gallbladder, and bile duct cancer. Floxuridine has been given by injection into a vein to treat solid tumors, acute leukemia in children, and cytomegalic inclusion disease in children with acute leukemia. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.
loss of appetite
thinned or brittle hair
drying or darkening of the skin or nails (sunlight may increase this darkening)
nausea
vomiting
stomach cramping or pain
diarrhea
mouth blistering
fatigue or weakness
unusual bruising or bleeding
fever
chills
cough
sore throat or difficulty swallowing
dizziness
shortness of breath
severe vomiting
rash, blistering of the skin, or acne
change in normal bowel habits for more than 2 days
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/Safety/MedWatch] 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.
The most common side effect of floxuridine is a decrease of blood cells. Your doctor may order tests before, during, and after your treatment to see if your blood cells are affected by the drug.
Last Reviewed - 09/01/2010
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, 2012. 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.