Leaflet CYTOSAR 100mg powder and solvent for solution for injection
Indicated for: cancer
Route of administration: injectable
Substance: cytarabine (antimetabolite antineoplastic)
ATC: L01BC01 (Antineoplastic and immunomodulating agents | Antimetabolites | Pyrimidine analogues)
This medicine may affect fertility.
Dose adjustment may be needed in liver disease.
Handle with special care.
Effective contraception is required during treatment.
Do not use this medicine while breastfeeding.
Do not use this medicine during pregnancy.
This medicine may affect the liver.
This medicine may have important interactions with other medicines.
This medicine may lower blood cell counts.
This medicine is subject to additional monitoring.
Periodic laboratory tests may be required during treatment.
Stop taking the medicine and seek urgent medical help if a severe rash occurs.
Cytarabine is a chemotherapy drug primarily used to treat leukemias, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the blast phase. It belongs to the class of antimetabolites and works by inhibiting DNA synthesis in cancer cells, leading to the cessation of cell division and, ultimately, cell death.
The mechanism of action of cytarabine involves interference with nucleotide metabolism. After being converted into its active form (cytarabine triphosphate), it incorporates into the DNA chain during replication, thereby inhibiting DNA elongation and DNA polymerase activity. This effect is specific to rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells.
Cytarabine is administered intravenously, subcutaneously, or intrathecally, depending on the type of cancer and treatment protocol. It is often used in combination with other chemotherapy drugs to enhance treatment efficacy. High-dose cytarabine therapy is also employed to treat aggressive forms of leukemia.
While effective, cytarabine can cause significant side effects. The most common include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomatitis, myelosuppression (reduction in blood cell counts), fever, and skin rashes. In rare cases, more severe reactions such as neurological toxicity, liver damage, or cytarabine syndrome (characterized by fever, muscle pain, and skin rash) may occur. Close monitoring of patients during treatment is essential to detect and manage potential complications promptly.
General data about CYTOSAR 100mg
- Substance: cytarabine
- Date of latest medicines list: 01-07-2013
- Product code: W02380001
- Concentration: 100mg
- Pharmaceutical form: powder and solvent for solution for injection
- Quantity: 1
- Product type: Original
- Prescription status: S - Medicines dispensed with a restricted medical prescription, reserved for use in certain specialized fields.
Pharmaceutical forms available for cytarabine
Concentrations available for cytarabine
- 1000mg/20ml
- 100mg
- 100mg/ml
- 20mg/ml
- 50mg
- 50mg/ml