VINCRISTINE

Vinca alkaloid anticancer

Dosage Forms

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Injection

1 mg/ml

Uses

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  • Leukaemias
  • Lymphomas
  • Breast cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Head and neck carcinoma
  • Soft tissue sarcomas
  • Ewing’s sarcoma
  • Embryonal rhabdosarcoma
  • Neuroblastoma
  • Wilms’ tumour
  • Retinoblastoma
  • Medulloblastoma
  • Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

Dose and Duration

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Adult: 1.4–1.5 mg/m² (max 2mg) by IV infusion weekly.

Child: 1.4–2 mg/m² (max 2mg) by IV infusion weekly. For children < 10kg, starting dose is 0.05 mg/kg.

Contra-indications

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  • Hypersensitivity to vincristine
  • Intrathecal administration
  • Demyelinating form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth syndrome

Side Effects

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  • Alopecia
  • Constipation, abdominal cramps, paralytic ileus
  • Diarrhoea, weight loss, nausea, vomiting
  • Leucopoenia
  • Severe local reaction and extravasation
  • Rash
  • Neurotoxicity (nerve pain, sensory loss, paraesthesia, difficulty in walking, loss of reflexes, movement disorders)
  • Hearing impairment
  • Hypertension, hypotension
  • Shortness of breath; bronchospasm
  • Muscle pain; generalised body pain
  • Urinary retention, dysuria, polyuria
  • Fever
  • Headache

Interactions

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  • Itraconazole (increased risk of neurotoxicity)
  • Clozapine (increased risk of agranulocytosis)

Pregnancy

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  • Do not use.

Breast-feeding

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  • Discontinue breastfeeding.

Storage

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  • Store between 2–8°C.

⚠️ Caution

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  • Monitor white cell count weekly.
  • Reduce dose in liver disease.
  • Men and women should use adequate contraception while taking vincristine.
  • For intravenous use only; use of other routes is fatal.
  • Anticancer medicines should only be handled by health workers trained and experienced in cytotoxic medicines.