Details

Bleomycin is a cancer medication that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body. Bleomycin is used to treat squamous cell carcinoma, a skin cancer that can affect the mouth, throat, nose and sinuses, penis, vagina, cervix, and other. Bleomycin is also used to treat Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, testicular cancer, and malignant pleural effusion (a build-up of fluid in the outer tissues of the lungs, caused by certain types of cancer). Bleomycin treats only the symptoms of prostate cancer but does not treat the cancer itself. To make sure you can safely receive bleomycin tell your doctor if you have lung disease or a breathing disorder kidney disease or liver disease. Do not use bleomycin if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby.

Typical Uses

Bleomycin is used to treat cancer. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells. This medication may also be used to control the build-up of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion) caused by tumours that have spread to the lungs. For this condition, bleomycin is placed in the space around the lungs through a chest tube.

Side Effects

Contact your medical professional immediately if you have some signs of an allergic reaction. Some of the side effects of bleomycin include fever or chills sudden chest pain or discomfort, wheezing, dry cough or hack shortness of breath confusion, feeling weak or tired, loss of appetite, rapid weight loss a light-headed feeling, feeling like you might pass out white patches or sores inside your mouth or on your lips severe redness, itching, rash, blistering, or tenderness of your skin or unusual hardening or thickening of your skin.

Drug Interactions

• Bleomycin+adalimumab- Using adalimumab together with bleomycin may increase the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening infections. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

• Bleomycin+BCG- If you are currently being treated or have recently been treated with bleomycin, you should talk to your doctor before receiving BCG. Depending on the dose and length of time you have been on bleomycin, you may be at risk for developing an infection from the vaccine or have a reduced response to the vaccine. In some situations, your doctor may want to delay vaccination to give your body time to recover from the effects of bleomycin therapy.

• Bleomycin+certolizumab- Using bleomycin 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.

• Bleomycin+etanercept- Using etanercept together with bleomycin may increase the risk of serious and potentially life-threatening infections. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

Mechanism of action

Bleomycin belongs to a class of drugs called as anticancer antibiotics. It works by producing ions that get incorporated into the DNA of the cancer cells and stops their growth.

Pregnancy Category : D