dactinomycin

What is the most important information I should know about dactinomycin?

Follow all directions on your medicine label and package. Tell each of your healthcare providers about all your medical conditions, allergies, and all medicines you use.

What is dactinomycin?

Dactinomycin is used to treat different types of cancers that affect the kidneys, uterus, testicles, bones, muscles, joints, and soft tissues. Dactinomycin is also used to treat solid tumors.

Dactinomycin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before receiving dactinomycin?

Using dactinomycin may increase your risk of developing other cancers, such as leukemia. Ask your doctor about this risk.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• liver disease; or
• radiation treatment.

• If you are a woman, do not use dactinomycin if you are pregnant. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine and for at least 6 months after your last dose.
• If you are a man, use effective birth control if your sex partner is able to get pregnant. Keep using birth control for at least 3 months after your last dose.
• Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is using dactinomycin.

How should I use dactinomycin?

Dactinomycin is given as an infusion into a vein. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.

For most conditions, dactinomycin is given once every 3 weeks for several months, or up to 2 years or longer. You may receive this medicine more often or less often, depending on the type of cancer you have. For solid tumors, you may only receive one dose.

Your doctor will determine how long to treat you.

Dactinomycin can lower your blood cell counts. Your blood will need to be tested often. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results.

What happens if I miss a dose?

What happens if I overdose?

What should I avoid while using dactinomycin?

Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using dactinomycin. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), and zoster (shingles).

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

What are the possible side effects of dactinomycin?

• swelling or tenderness in your stomach (upper right side), rapid weight gain;
• swelling in your arms or legs;
• dark urine, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
• redness of your skin or the inside of your mouth and throat (if you are also receiving radiation treatment);
• sores or white patches in or around your mouth, trouble swallowing or talking, dry mouth, bad breath, altered sense of taste;
• blisters, ulcers, or other skin changes where an injection was given; or
• low blood cell counts --fever, chills, tiredness, mouth sores, skin sores, easy bruising, unusual bleeding, pale skin, cold hands and feet, feeling light-headed or short of breath.

Common side effects may include:

• hair loss;
• fever, infections, low blood cell counts;
• rash;
• trouble swallowing;
• nausea, vomiting; or
• tiredness.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect dactinomycin?

Other drugs may affect dactinomycin, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor or pharmacist can provide more information about dactinomycin.

Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Copyright 1996-2023 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 7.01. Revision date: 5/13/2020.