Details

Cytarabine is a cancer medication that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body. Cytarabine is used to treat certain types of leukaemia (blood cancers). Cytarabine is also used to treat leukaemia associated with meningitis. Cytarabine will not treat an active meningitis infection that has already developed in the body. Cytarabine can cause serious side effects on your brain or central nervous system that may not be reversible. Cytarabine is usually given together with a steroid medication to help lessen these side effects. To make sure you can safely receive cytarabine, tell your doctor if you have epilepsy or other seizure disorder or a history of head injury or brain tumour. Do not receive cytarabine if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby.

Typical Uses

Cytarabine is used alone or with other medications to treat various types of cancer. It is a chemotherapy drug that works by slowing or stopping cancer cell growth. This medication is usually given by injection into a vein by a doctor. Unless your doctor instructs you otherwise, drink plenty of fluids while using cytarabine. This helps your kidneys remove the drug from your body and may help you avoid some of the side effects.

Side Effects

Some of the side effects of cytarabine include fever with nausea, vomiting, and headache problems with your vision or hearing loss of movement in any part of your body loss of bowel or bladder control fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating confusion, unusual thoughts or behaviour trouble standing or walking, seizure (convulsions) pain or burning when you urinate a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out or feeling very thirsty or hot, being unable to urinate, heavy sweating, or hot and dry skin.

Drug Interactions

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

• Cytarabine+cytarabine- Using bexarotene together with cytarabine may increase the risk of pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.

• Cytarabine+certolizumab- Using cytarabine 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.

• Cytarabine+deferiprone- Deferiprone can lower white blood cell count, and combining it with other medications that can also affect bone marrow function such as cytarabine may increase the risk. You may be more likely to develop serious and potentially life-threatening infections as a result.

• Cytarabine+etanercept- Using etanercept together with cytarabine 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

Cytarabine belongs to a group of medicines called antimetabolites. It works by inhibiting the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.

Pregnancy Category : D