DOXORUBICIN (ADRIAMYCIN)

Anthracycline antibiotic anticancer.

Dosage Forms

▼

Powder for injection

50 mg

Uses

▼
  • Metastatic breast cancer
  • Ovarian cancer (second line treatment)
  • Multiple myeloma
  • AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma (second line treatment)

Dose and Duration

▼
Metastatic breast cancer (in combination with cyclophosphamide) and ovarian cancer
50 mg/m² once every 4 weeks for as long as the disease does not process and patient can tolerate treatment
Multiple myeloma
30 mg/m² depending on the regimen of concomitant anticancers
Kaposi’s sarcoma
20 mg/m² every 2−3 weeks for 2−3 months ncers

Note: Avoid intervals of less than 10 days

Contraindications

▼
  • Children aged below 18 years

Side Effects

▼
  • Nausea, vomitingErythema of palms of the hands and soles of the feet (palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, PPE)
  • Myelosuppression (leucopoenia, anaemia, neutropoenia, thrombocytopenia)
  • Alopecia (hair loss)
  • Heart damage, ventricular arrhythmia
  • Pharyngitis
  • Anorexia
  • Paraesthesia
  • Blurred vision
  • Nose bleeding
  • Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
  • Hypersensitivity reactions (rash)
  • Dry skin, skin discoloration
  • Leg cramps, muscle pain, bone pain
  • Mucositis, fever, fatigue, weakness

Pregnancy

▼
  • Do not use

Breastfeeding

▼
  • Discontinue breastfeeding

Storage

▼
  • After reconstitution, store at 2−8°C. Do not freeze

⚠️ Caution

▼
  • Do routine ECG monitoring to detect cardiac toxicity
  • If patient experiences infusion site reactions, discontinue immediately and give appropriate pre-medication (antihistamine and/or corticosteroid)
  • Reduce dose or delay follow-on dose to manage adverse drug reactions
  • Never give doxorubicin as bolus injection or undiluted solution to avoid injection site reactions
  • Anticancer medicines should only be handled by health workers trained and experienced in cytotoxic medicines