Cytarabine Accord
Cytarabine Accord is a cancer medicine used to treat acute leukemia (blood cancer) in children and adults.
Form
injektio-/infuusioneste, liuos
Strength
100 mg/ml
Active Ingredient
Cytarabine
Manufacturer
Accord Healthcare B.V.
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will decide your dose based on your illness, body weight, and how well you tolerate the medicine.
Method
The medicine is given as an injection or a drip into a vein.
Important
Your doctor will determine the maximum daily dose, which can be up to 6 grams per square meter in some high-dose regimens. The total treatment dose should not exceed 36 g/m².
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Fever
- •Low white and red blood cell counts and platelets, which can increase the risk of infections and bleeding
- •Abnormal blood cells (megaloblastosis)
- •Loss of appetite
- •Difficulty swallowing
- •Stomach pain
- •Nausea
- •Vomiting
- •Diarrhea
- •Inflammation or sores in the mouth or rectum
- •Temporary skin effects like redness, blisters, rash, hives, blood vessel inflammation, hair loss
- •Temporary liver effects (increased enzyme levels)
- •Temporary eye effects like irritation with bleeding (hemorrhagic conjunctivitis), blurred vision, light sensitivity, watery and stinging eyes, and corneal inflammation
- •Decreased consciousness (with high doses)
- •Speech difficulties (with high doses)
- •Abnormal eye movement (nystagmus) (with high doses)
- •Inflammation at the injection site in a vein
- •Abnormally high uric acid levels in the blood (hyperuricemia)
RARE
- •Sore throat
- •Headache
- •Severe allergic reactions (e.g., breathing difficulties, dizziness)
- •Blood poisoning (sepsis)
- •Ulcers and inflammation in the esophagus and throat
- •Severe bowel inflammation (necrotizing colitis)
- •Bowel cysts
- •Skin sores
- •Itching
- •Brown/black skin spots
- •Yellow skin and eyes (jaundice)
- •Lung infection (pneumonia)
- •Difficulty breathing
- •Muscle and joint pain
- •Inflammation of the heart sac (pericarditis)
- •Kidney failure
- •Inability to urinate (urinary retention)
- •Chest pain
- •Burning pain in the palms of hands and soles of feet
- •Inflammation of sweat glands
- •Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
- •Decreased reticulocyte count
- •Drowsiness and convulsions, peripheral motor and sensory nerve damage
- •Flaky skin rash
- •Allergic swelling
- •Liver damage and increased bilirubin
- •Cytarabine syndrome: fever, bone and muscle pain, temporary chest pain, skin rash, eye irritation (conjunctivitis), nausea
- •Nervous system problems (e.g., personality changes, altered alertness, speech difficulty, coordination problems, tremors, confusion, coma, seizures)
- •Severe gastrointestinal problems (e.g., bowel perforation, tissue death, obstruction, peritonitis, liver abscesses, enlarged liver, liver vein thrombosis, pancreatitis)
- •Acute severe breathing difficulties and fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
- •Heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy)
- •Abnormal muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis)
Important Warnings
- Do not use if you are allergic to cytarabine or any other ingredients in this medicine.
- Do not use if your bone marrow is already weak from other treatments.
- Do not use if you are pregnant, think you might be pregnant, or are breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor.
- Cytarabine reduces blood cell production, which can increase the risk of infections and bleeding. Your doctor will monitor your blood counts.
- Serious, sometimes life-threatening, side effects can occur in the brain, gut, and lungs.
Show 3 more warnings
- Liver and kidney function will be monitored. If your liver function is not normal before treatment, the medicine will be given with extreme caution.
- Tell your doctor or pharmacist about all other medicines you are taking, including those without a prescription.
- Avoid driving or operating machinery until you know how this medicine affects you.