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Gemcitabine review
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Gemcitabine is a pyrimidine analog medication. It stops and impedes the development of cancer cells in the body.
Gemcitabine is marketed as Gemzar in the United States. It is prescribed to individuals who have cancers of the breast, lung, and pancreas.
Gemcitabine is infused to the patient through a cannula and into a vein. The cannula is infused in the back of a hand. It may also be infused into a vein around the central line, or through a vein near the PICC line.
It normally takes half an hour for the administration of Gemcitabine.
Gemcitabine is usually given as part of a chemotherapy session done over a couple of months. The length of the treatment and the number of treatment cycles will depend on the stage of cancer being treated.
The reaction to Gemcitabine will differ from one person to another. Some patients will experience very little side effects, while there are those who will experience more.
One of the most common side effects of Gemcitabine is decreased resistance to infection. The use of Gemcitabine may decrease the bone marrow’s creation of white blood cells which makes the patient more prone to getting infections.
This side effect usually begins a week after the administration of Gemcitabine. The patient may have his lowest resistance to infection 2 weeks after undergoing chemotherapy.
However after this the white blood cells will steadily increase, and patients will have the normal amounts before the next cycle of chemotherapy.
Patients should also immediately contact their physicians if they experience fever, or they feel nausea even if they have a normal body temperature.
Patients may also experience unexplained bleeding or bruising since this drug can reduce the body’s production of platelets which is instrumental in the blood’s ability to clot.
This medication may also result to patients having anemia. This would consequently make patients feel weak and breathless.
Patients may also feel sick and vomit while using this medication. This usually happens a couple of hours after the administration of the drug, and may last a day. Doctors usually prescribe anti-sickness medication to control or reduce vomiting and nausea.
Patients may also lose their appetite while using this medication.
Other side effects of Gemcitabine are change in the functions of the livers, changes in the skin, and flu-like symptoms like muscle and joint pains, high body temperature, and headaches.
The use of Gemcitabine can increase the risks of thrombosis or blood clot even further. Blood clot causes symptoms like pain and redness in the legs, difficulty in breathing and pain in the chest. Doctors have to be informed right away if any of these symptoms become apparent since blood clots are quite serious cases.
Patients will also have to inform their physicians of any drugs that they are taking since these may interact with Gemcitabine. These include non prescription medications like herbal drugs and dietary supplements.
It is not advisable for patients to become pregnant while taking this medication.
Gemcitabine has the following structural formula:
• Molecular formula of gemcitabine is C9H11F2N3O4
• Chemical IUPAC Name is 4-amino-1-[3,3-difluoro-4-hydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl) tetrahydrofuran-2-yl]-1H-pyrimidin-2-one
• Molecular weight is 263.198 g/mol
Brand name(s): Gemcin, Gemcitabina, Gemcitabinum, Gemtro, Gemzar
Review published on: 16 August 2009
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