How It Works
Idarubicin kills cancer cells by stopping
their growth.
Why It Is Used
Idarubicin is one of the drugs used in
chemotherapy to treat
acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). AML causes blood
cells that are not normal to grow quickly. These bad cells crowd out your good
cells. Chemotherapy is used to destroy the abnormal blood cells and make room
for new, normal cells to grow.
How Well It Works
Idarubicin works well as part of the
chemotherapy for some people with AML. But how well it works may depend on how
far along your cancer is.
Side Effects
Side effects are common with idarubicin
and can include:
- Decreased numbers of
white blood cells,
red blood cells, and
platelets.
- Nausea, vomiting, and loss of
appetite.
- Headache or seizures.
- Cardiac problems, such
as an enlarged heart and irregular heartbeat.
- Hair loss. Hair will
grow back when treatment ends.
- Decreased platelet counts (thrombocytopenia), which may lead to bleeding in the digestive tract causing tarry stools. It may also cause bleeding under the skin, in the urine, or other places in the body.
- Mouth sores (stomatitis).
-
Peripheral neuropathies, which may be irreversible and
may be made worse by exercise. Symptoms include:
- Numbness and
tingling.
- Unsteadiness when standing or
walking.
- Clumsiness of the hands and feet.
- Cough and hoarseness.
- Eye problems
such as blurred vision or loss of the ability to see colors.
- Kidney
damage.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug
Reference is not available in all systems.)
What To Think About
Idarubicin should be used only
under the supervision of a
medical oncologist or hematologist.
You may not be able
to get pregnant or father a child after taking this drug. Talk to your doctor
about this before you start treatment.
Idarubicin can cause birth
defects. Do not use this drug if you are pregnant or wish to become pregnant or
father a child while you are taking it.
Do not use this drug if
you have:
- Had a previous allergic reaction to
idarubicin.
- Heart disease.
- Kidney damage.
- A history
of
gout and
kidney stones.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.
Credits
|
By
|
Healthwise Staff |
|
Primary Medical Reviewer
|
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
|
Specialist Medical Reviewer
|
Brian Leber, MDCM, FRCPC - Hematology |
|
Last Revised
|
December 17, 2010 |
