DACARBAZINE

Alkylating anticancer.

Dosage Forms

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Powder for injection

1000 mg

Uses

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  • Hodgkin’s disease (as part of a combination regimen)
  • Metastatic melanoma
  • Soft tissue sarcomas (as part of a combination regimen)

Dose and Duration

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Malignant melanoma
As a single agent, 200‒250 mg/m² by IV injection for 5 days every 3 weeks

Can be given as IV infusion over 15‒30 minutes

OR 850 mg/m² on day 1 then once every 3 weeks

Hodgkin’s disease (in combination with doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine)
375 mg/m² daily by IV injection every 15 days
Adult soft tissue sarcoma (in combination with doxorubicin)
250 mg/m² daily by IV injection for 5 days every 3 weeks

Contraindications

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  • Hypersensitivity to dacarbazine
  • Leucopoenia
  • Thrombocytopenia
  • Kaposi Sarcoma
  • Mesothelioma

Side Effects

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  • Severe nausea and vomiting
  • Myelosuppression (anaemia, leucopoenia, thrombocytopenia)
  • Extravasation at injection site
  • Liver necrosis due to hepatic vein thrombosis (rare but can be fatal)

Interactions

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  • Clozapine (risk of agranulocytosis)

Patient Instructions

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  • Take contraception during treatment and 6 months after cessation of therapy
  • Avoid taking alcohol while on treatment

Pregnancy

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  • Do not use

Breastfeeding

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  • Discontinue breastfeeding

Storage

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  • Keep away from light. Protect reconstituted solution from light during administration

⚠️ Caution

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  • Monitor full blood counts and renal function frequently
  • Follow manufacturer’s instructions for reconstitution of product
  • Anticancer medicines should only be handled by health workers trained and experienced in cytotoxic medicines