Details

Irinotecan is a cancer medicine that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body. Irinotecan is used to treat cancers of the colon and rectum. It is usually given with other cancer medicines in combination chemotherapy. To make sure irinotecan is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease diabetes asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnoea, or other breathing disorder an intestinal disorder or obstruction Gilbert's syndrome fructose intolerance or if you are receiving radiation treatment to your abdomen or pelvic area. Do not use irinotecan if you are pregnant.

Typical Uses

Irinotecan is used to treat cancer of the colon and rectum. This drug may also be used to treat other types of cancer (such as lung, bone cancer).

Side Effects

Some of the side effects of irinotecan include severe or ongoing vomiting or diarrhoea nausea or vomiting that keeps you from drinking enough fluids sudden chest pain or discomfort, wheezing, dry cough, feeling short of breath pain, redness, numbness, and peeling skin on your hands or feet dehydration symptoms-feeling very thirsty or hot, being unable to urinate, heavy sweating, or hot and dry skin or low blood cell counts-fever, chills, flu-like symptoms, swollen gums, mouth sores, skin sores, rapid heart rate, pale skin, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, feeling light-headed.

Drug Interactions

• Irinotecan+adalimumab- Using adalimumab together with irinotecan may increase the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening infections. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
• Irinotecan+amprenavir- Amprenavir can interfere with the normal clearance of irinotecan from the body. This may increase side effects such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea (which can lead to dehydration and kidney failure if severe), mouth sores, lung or breathing problems, and impaired bone marrow function resulting in low numbers of different types of blood cells.
• Irinotecan+certolizumab- Using irinotecan together with certolizumab may increase the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening infections. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
• Irinotecan+deferiprone- Deferiprone can lower white blood cell count, and combining it with other medications that can also affect bone marrow function such as irinotecan may increase the risk. You may be more likely to develop serious and potentially life-threatening infections as a result.
• Irinotecan+leflunomide- Using leflunomide together with irinotecan may increase the risk of serious infections. Because leflunomide can stay in your blood for a prolonged period after the last dose, interactions with other drugs may occur for some time even after you have stopped taking it. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

Mechanism of action

Irinotecan belongs to class of drugs called topoisomerase inhibitors. Irinotecan inhibits the action of topoisomerase. Irinotecan prevents relegation of the DNA strand by binding to topoisomerase I-DNA complex. The formation of this ternary complex interferes with the moving replication fork, which induces replication arrest and lethal double-stranded breaks in DNA. As a result, DNA damage is not efficiently repaired and apoptosis (programmed cell death) occurs.

Pregnancy Category : D