DOXOrubicin
Other Name: Adriamycin®
- For treating leukemia, lymphoma, cancers of the breast, bladder, uterus and other cancers.
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Tell your health care team if you have or had significant medical condition(s), such as:
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heart problems (including irregular heartbeat)
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liver problems
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have received prior chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment
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any allergies especially to doxorubicin or related drugs (e.g. epirubicin and others)
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Remember to:
- Tell your health care team about all of the other medications you are taking.
- Keep taking other medications that have been prescribed for you, unless you have been told not to by your health care team.
You will have a blood test to check for hepatitis B before starting treatment. See the Hepatitis B and Cancer Medications pamphlet for more information.
Talk to your health care team about:
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How this medication may affect your sexual health.
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How this medication may affect your ability to have a baby, if this applies to you.
This medication may harm an unborn baby. Tell your health care team if you or your partner are pregnant, become pregnant during treatment, or are breastfeeding.
- If there is any chance you may become pregnant, you and your partner together must use 2 effective forms of birth control at the same time until at least 6.5 months after your last dose. Talk to your health care team about which birth control options are best for you.
- If you are a patient that can get somebody pregnant, you and your partner together must use 2 effective forms of birth control at the same time until at least 3.5 months after your last dose. Talk to your health care team about which birth control options are best for you.
- Do not breastfeed while on this medication and until at least 10 days after your last dose.
- This drug is given by injection into a vein.
- Talk to your health care team about your treatment schedule.
- If you missed your treatment appointment, talk to your health care team to find out what to do.
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This medication can interact with other medications and can result in the treatment not working as well or cause severe side effects.
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Make sure your health care team knows about all your medications (prescription, over-the-counter, herbals and supplements). Check with your health care team before starting or stopping any of them.
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For mild aches and pain or fever:
- If you feel unwell, take your temperature before taking any medications for pain or fever. They may hide a fever.
- You may take acetaminophen (Tylenol®) tablets. Ask your health care team about the right dose for you.
- Ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®) or aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA), including low dose aspirin for heart conditions, may increase your chance of bleeding. Talk to your health care team before you start or stop these medications.
- Talk to your health care team or go to the closest emergency room right away if you have a fever. See the Fever pamphlet for more information.
- If you feel unwell, take your temperature before taking any medications for pain or fever. They may hide a fever.
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Drinking alcohol and smoking during your treatment may increase some side effects and make your medication less effective. Speak to your health care team about smoking and drinking alcohol while on treatment.
- Your skin may be more sensitive to the sun. You can have an itchy rash and other skin reactions when you are exposed to the sun. When you are in the sun, wear long sleeved shirts, long pants and a hat to protect yourself. Apply sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection and an SPF of at least 30.
- It is normal for your urine (pee) to be red for up to 2 days after your doxorubicin treatment. Tell your health care team is your pee stays red for more than 2 days.
You may not have all of the side effects below. You may have side effects that are not listed.
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Hair thinning or loss
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Talk to your health care team if this bothers you. | ||||
Unusual bruising or bleeding (May be severe)
See the Low Platelet Count pamphlet for more information. Fever, chills, infection (May be severe) You have a fever if your temperature taken in your mouth (oral temperature) is:
While you are getting treatment:
If you have a fever, talk to your health care team or go to the closest emergency room. |
Get emergency medical help right away. | ||||
Nausea and vomiting (May be severe) May occur in hours to days after your treatment. It is easier to prevent nausea than to treat it if it happens. To help prevent nausea:
If you have nausea or vomiting:
Also see Nausea & Vomiting pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if nausea lasts more than 48 hours or vomiting lasts more than 24 hours. | ||||
Mouth sores (May be severe) You may have round, painful, white or gray sores inside your mouth. They can occur on the tongue, lips, gums, or inside your cheeks. In more severe cases they may make it hard swallow, eat or to brush your teeth. They usually last 1 to 2 weeks. To help prevent mouth sores:
If you have mouth sores:
See the Mouth Care pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team as soon as possible. |
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Low appetite
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Talk to your health care team if no improvement or if severe. |
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Diarrhea May happen days to weeks after you get your treatment. If you have diarrhea :
See the Diarrhea pamphlet for more information. |
Talk to your health care team if no improvement or if severe. | ||||
Reactions at the injection site What to look for?
What to do?
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Talk to your health care team as soon as possible. |
Other rare, but serious side effects are possible.
If you experience ANY of the following, speak to your cancer health care provider or get emergency medical help right away:
- Irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, fainting spells or swelling in your legs or belly
- Pain in your chest, belly or arm
- Pain, swelling or hardening of a vein in your arm or leg
- Difficulty breathing or coughing up blood
- Severe rash, itchiness, flushing, dizziness, chest or throat tightness (during or shortly after doxorubicin is given)
- Lower back pain, body swelling, peeing less than usual and unusual weight gain
- Muscle twitching, severe weakness or cramping, feeling confused or restless
- Yellowish skin or eyes, unusually dark pee or pain on the right side of your belly.
- Redness/rash in areas where you’ve previously received radiation
Talk to your health care team about your risk of getting other cancers after this treatment.
Who do I contact if I have questions or need help?My cancer health care provider is: ________________________________________________ During the day I should contact:__________________________________________________ Evenings, weekends and holidays:________________________________________________
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Other Notes:
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October 2023 Updated "How will this medication affect sex, pregnancy and breastfeeding" section
For more links on how to manage your symptoms go to www.cancercareontario.ca/symptoms.
The information set out in the medication information sheets, regimen information sheets, and symptom management information (for patients) contained in the Drug Formulary (the "Formulary") is intended to be used by health professionals and patients for informational purposes only. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or side effects of a certain drug, nor should it be used to indicate that use of a particular drug is safe, appropriate or effective for a given condition.
A patient should always consult a healthcare provider if he/she has any questions regarding the information set out in the Formulary. The information in the Formulary is not intended to act as or replace medical advice and should not be relied upon in any such regard. All uses of the Formulary are subject to clinical judgment and actual prescribing patterns may not follow the information provided in the Formulary.