Dactinomycin injection must be given in a hospital or medical facility under the supervision of a doctor who is experienced in giving chemotherapy medications for cancer.
Dactinomycin should be administered only into a vein. However, it may leak into surrounding tissue causing severe irritation or damage. Your doctor or nurse will monitor your administration site for this reaction. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: pain, itching, redness, swelling, blisters, or sores in the place where the medication was injected.
Dactinomycin is used in combination with other medications, surgery, and/or radiation therapy to treat Wilms' tumor (a type of kidney cancer that occurs in children) and rhabdomyosarcoma (cancer that forms in muscles) in children. Dactinomycin is also used in combination with other medications to treat certain types of testicular cancer and Ewing's sarcoma (a type of cancer in bones or muscles). Dactinomycin is also used alone or in combination with other medications to treat gestational trophoblastic tumors (a type of tumor that forms inside a woman's uterus while she is pregnant). Dactinomycin may also be used to treat certain types of cancerous tumors that are located in a specific area of the body. Dactinomycin is a type of antibiotic that is only used in cancer chemotherapy. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.
Dactinomycin comes as a powder to be mixed with liquid to be injected intravenously (into a vein) by a doctor or nurse in a medical facility. The length of treatment depends on the type of cancer you have, the types of other drugs you are taking, and how well your body responds to treatment. Your doctor may need to stop or delay your treatment if you experience certain side effects. Dactinomycin may also be injected by a doctor directly into a specific the part of the body or the organ to treat the area where a tumor is located.
Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer's information for the patient.
Dactinomycin is also sometimes used to treat a type of cancer of the ovaries (a cancer that begins in the female reproductive organs where eggs are formed). Talk to your doctor about the risks of using this medication for your condition.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
vomiting
stomach pain
diarrhea
hair loss
hives
rash
difficulty breathing or swallowing
nausea
extreme tiredness
unusual bleeding or bruising
sores in the mouth and throat
lack of energy
loss of appetite
pain in the upper right part of the stomach
yellowing of the skin or eyes
fever, sore throat, ongoing cough and congestion, or other signs of infection
unusual bleeding or bruising
black and tarry stools
red blood in stools
Dactinomycin may increase the risk that you will develop other cancers. Talk to your doctor about the risks of receiving dactinomycin injection.
Dactinomycin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
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.
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
sores in the mouth and throat
fever, sore throat, chills, or other signs of infection
black and tarry stools
red blood in stools
nausea
extreme tiredness
unusual bleeding or bruising
lack of energy
loss of appetite
pain in the upper right part of the stomach
yellowing of the skin or eyes
flu-like symptoms
decreased urination
swelling of the face, arms, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
blisters or rash
hives
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain tests to check your body's response to dactinomycin.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
Last Revised - 01/15/2012
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.