Holoxan
Holoxan is a cancer medicine that stops cancer cells from growing and dividing.
Form
injektio-/infuusiokuiva-aine liuosta varten
Strength
500 mg
Active Ingredient
Ifosfamide
Manufacturer
Baxter Oy
How to Use
Dosage
Your doctor will decide your specific Holoxan dose based on your illness, weight, height, general health, and other treatments you are receiving.
Method
Healthcare staff will give Holoxan into a vein as a slow infusion (drip), which can take hours or days. It is usually given along with other cancer medicines or radiation therapy.
Important
Your doctor will determine your maximum daily dose on an individual basis.
Possible Side Effects
COMMON
- •Bone marrow issues (leading to low white blood cells, increased infection risk, low platelets, bleeding risk, and anemia).
- •Feeling sick (nausea) and being sick (vomiting).
- •Hair loss.
- •Problems with the brain (like confusion, headache, or feeling tired) or central nervous system toxicity.
- •Bladder inflammation, sometimes with blood in the urine (even if not visible).
- •Fever.
- •Infections.
- •Low blood pH (metabolic acidosis).
- •Reduced appetite.
- •Vein inflammation (phlebitis).
- •Liver problems, including reduced function or inflammation.
- •Low sperm count in men.
- •Feeling tired, unwell, or generally weak.
RARE
- •Severe blood poisoning (sepsis) with high fever and very low blood pressure.
- •Development of new cancers (e.g., blood cancer, soft tissue cancer, kidney cancer, lymphoma).
- •Changes in mood or thinking (like mania, confusion, paranoia, panic attacks).
- •Dizziness.
- •Toxic effects on the heart.
- •Heart rhythm disorders.
- •Heart failure.
- •Low blood pressure.
- •Diarrhea.
- •Constipation.
- •Mouth inflammation (stomatitis).
- •Elevated liver enzymes.
- •Urination frequency disorders, including incontinence.
- •Bladder irritation.
- •Ovulation disorders.
- •Absence of menstruation (amenorrhea).
- •Muscle cramps.
- •Skin and mucous membrane inflammation.
- •Various rashes.
- •Hypersensitivity reactions.
- •Kidney disease (kidney failure), acute or chronic kidney dysfunction.
- •Abnormal urine analysis values (protein in urine, high phosphate in urine, amino acids in urine).
- •Swelling due to fluid retention (SIADH) with low blood sodium, dehydration, and fluid accumulation.
- •Blood electrolyte imbalance.
- •Shortness of breath (dyspnea).
- •Cough.
- •Fecal incontinence.
- •Blurred vision.
- •Local reactions at the injection/infusion site.
- •Severe blood clotting disorders.
- •Hemolytic-uremic syndrome (complex symptoms including anemia, pinpoint skin bleeding, and sometimes acute kidney failure).
- •Severe hypersensitivity reaction (anaphylactic reaction).
- •Nerve disease/nerve function disorders (polyneuropathy).
- •Seizures, including epilepsy.
- •Cardiac arrest.
- •Heart attack.
- •Kidney function disorder (Fanconi syndrome).
- •Vision impairment.
- •Fluid accumulation in lungs.
- •Lung fibrosis.
- •Impaired breathing.
- •Lung inflammation (interstitial pneumonitis).
- •Acute pancreatitis.
- •Severe skin reactions with skin peeling (toxic epidermal necrolysis).
- •Progression of underlying malignancies.
- •Blood toxicity (hemolytic anemia, methemoglobinemia, and pancytopenia).
- •Weakened immune response.
- •Hives (urticaria).
- •High blood sugar (hyperglycemia).
- •Increased thirst (polydipsia).
- •Rapid breakdown of tumor cells (tumor lysis syndrome).
- •Difficulty controlling speech muscles (dysarthria), involuntary muscle twitching (extrapyramidal disorder), movement disorders, gait disorders, and nerve effects in hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy).
- •Conjunctivitis (eye inflammation).
- •Eye irritation.
- •Ringing in the ears (tinnitus).
- •Deafness.
- •Hearing loss.
- •Fluid buildup around the heart (pericardial effusion).
- •Heart muscle problems/disease.
- •Chest pain (angina pectoris).
- •Inflammation of heart tissues (myocarditis, pericarditis).
- •EKG changes.
- •Cardiogenic shock (heart unable to pump enough blood).
- •Pain.
- •Blood clots in vessels and lungs.
- •Fluid leakage from blood vessels into tissues (capillary leak syndrome).
- •Vascular inflammation (vasculitis).
- •Hot flashes.
- •Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
- •Lung involvement, e.g., with difficulty breathing.
- •Intestinal inflammation.
- •Gastrointestinal bleeding.
- •Bowel obstruction.
- •Stomach pain.
- •Increased salivation.
- •Bile duct obstruction (cholestasis).
- •Liver blood clots.
- •Obstruction of small liver veins (veno-occlusive liver disease).
- •Liver failure.
- •Severe liver inflammation (fulminant hepatitis).
- •Severe mucous membrane and skin inflammation with high fever (Stevens-Johnson syndrome).
- •Severe reaction to radiation therapy, with worsened skin damage.
- •Skin and nail changes.
- •Small pinpoint skin bleeds (petechiae).
- •Increased sweating (hyperhidrosis).
- •Itching.
- •Muscle and joint pain.
- •Growth retardation.
- •Pain in arms and legs.
- •Abnormally large urine volumes due to pituitary dysfunction (diabetes insipidus).
- •Polyuria (frequent urination).
- •Feeling of residual urine.
- •Kidney inflammation (tubulointerstitial nephritis).
- •Inability to have children (infertility).
- •Premature cessation of menstruation (premature menopause).
- •Ovarian dysfunction.
- •Growth retardation in offspring.
- •Dysfunction of two or more organs (multi-organ failure).
- •Chills.
Important Warnings
- Do not use Holoxan if you have ever had an allergic reaction to ifosfamide. Symptoms include trouble breathing, wheezing, itching, or swelling of your face and lips.
- Do not use Holoxan if your bone marrow is not working well, especially if you have had chemotherapy or radiation. Your doctor will check this with blood tests.
- Do not use Holoxan if you have severe kidney problems, a blocked urinary tract, or a bladder infection that causes pain when you urinate.
- Do not use Holoxan if you have an active infection.
- Do not use Holoxan if cancer has spread to your brain (brain metastases).
Show 7 more warnings
- Do not breastfeed while being treated with Holoxan.
- Tell your doctor right away if you see blood in your urine.
- Tell your doctor if you have diabetes, heart problems, or have had radiation to your heart area.
- Tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems. Your Holoxan dose may need to be adjusted.
- Holoxan can affect your brain. Tell your doctor immediately if you feel unusually tired, have a severe headache, feel confused, or feel like reality has changed.
- Holoxan weakens your immune system. Be careful with live vaccines and talk to your doctor before any vaccinations.
- If you are planning to become pregnant or make someone pregnant, talk to your doctor. Holoxan can affect your ability to have children, and you should not get pregnant during treatment.