Dacarbazine medac

Dacarbazine medak is an antitumor, cytostatic drug. Its main action is aimed at stopping or completely suppressing cell division by inhibiting mitotic activity.

All cytostatic drugs affect intracellular metabolism and are usually used to treat malignant tumors.

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Indications Dacarbazine medac

Dacarbazine medac is prescribed as the main treatment for metastatic melanoma.

The drug is also used as part of complex treatment for soft tissue sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease (except mesothelioma, Kaposi's sarcoma).

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Release form

Dacarbazine medac is available in glass vials with powder, from which a solution is prepared for droppers or injections.

Pharmacodynamics

Dacarbazine medac inhibits cell growth that is not associated with the cell cycle and suspends the process of DNA synthesis. The drug also has a destructive effect on DNA and leads to cell death. It is generally accepted that dacarbazine has no antitumor effect, but in the body it is converted into compounds that have a detrimental effect on pathological cells.

Pharmacokinetics

Dacarbazine medak quickly penetrates tissues after administration. About 5% of the active substance binds to blood proteins. The mechanism of action of the drug in the blood is two-phase, the initial half-life is 20 minutes and the final half-life is approximately 30 minutes to 3.5 hours. Dacarbazine is not active in the body until the process of metabolism in the liver by cytochrome P ₄₅₀, which ultimately leads to the formation of active compounds that destroy the tumor.

About 20–50% of the drug is excreted unchanged by the kidneys within six hours due to tubular secretion.

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Dosing and administration

Dacarbazine medac is used intravenously. The drug is prescribed only by a doctor who has experience in oncology and hematology.

When administering the drug, avoid getting the solution into the tissues, as this may cause damage and painful sensations at the injection site. If the solution gets under the skin, stop administering the drug immediately and inject the remaining solution into another vein.

The treatment regimen and dosage are prescribed by a specialist.

For malignant melanoma, 200-250 mg is usually prescribed intravenously once a day. The course of treatment is 5 days, after three weeks the course is repeated.

Intravenous administration of the drug is quite painful; it is permissible to administer Dacarbazine medak using a dropper for 15-30 minutes.

At the discretion of the physician, the drug may be prescribed in a dosage of 850 mg once every three weeks.

For Hodgkin's disease, the drug is prescribed at 375 mg once every 15 days. In this case, Dacarbazine is prescribed as part of a complex treatment.

For soft tissue sarcoma, Dacarbazine is also prescribed as part of a combination treatment at 250 mg every three weeks.

The duration of Dacarbazine therapy is determined by the doctor individually for each case. Many factors are taken into account - the disease, its stage, combined treatment, side and therapeutic effects, etc.

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Use Dacarbazine medac during pregnancy

Dacarbazine medak was tested on animals, as a result of which it was found that the drug leads to changes in the structure of genes, disrupts embryonic development. The drug is not recommended for use by pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Contraindications

Dacarbazine medac is contraindicated in case of hypersensitivity to some components of the drug, in case of severe liver or kidney failure.

Also, the drug is not prescribed to pregnant and lactating women, or to those with low platelet and leukocyte levels.

Side effects Dacarbazine medac

Dacarbazine medac can provoke a decrease in hemoglobin, leukocytes, platelets, granulocytes, and a decrease in the composition of all blood elements.

Also, after using the drug, anaphylactic shock may develop, headaches, numbness of the facial nerve, convulsions, and vision may deteriorate.

In some cases, loss of appetite, nausea, and bowel disorders develop.

The drug causes an increase in liver enzymes, in rare cases it can provoke a disruption of the hepatic vein, which can cause liver necrosis, renal failure, hair loss, the appearance of pigment spots, severe redness of the skin, skin rashes, inflammation at the injection site.

Often after using the drug, changes in blood tests (changes in the level of leukocytes, platelets, etc.), fever, muscle pain, liver enlargement, abdominal pain are observed.

In rare cases, kidney dysfunction may develop, leading to an increase in the amount of substances excreted in the urine in the blood.

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Overdose

Dacarbazine medac, when overdosed, causes inhibition of the process of creating new blood cells (after about two weeks).

After one month of treatment, higher doses of Dacarbazine may lead to a decrease in the level of white blood cells and platelets.

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Interactions with other drugs

Dacarbazine medac may enhance the damaging effect on hematopoiesis of other cytostatic drugs or radiotherapy.

When prescribing the drug, it is necessary to take into account that Dacarbazine is converted in the liver using P _450, therefore, it is necessary to prescribe drugs that are metabolized by this enzyme with caution.

Dacarbazine medac together with methoxypsoralen can enhance the photosensitizing effect (sensitivity to ultraviolet light).

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Storage conditions

Dacarbazine medac should be stored in the original packaging, which protects from direct sunlight. The storage temperature should not exceed 25 ⁰ C.

Dacarbazine medac should be kept out of the reach of children. The diluted injection solution should be stored for no longer than 24 hours at a temperature of 2 to 8 ⁰ C (provided that it was prepared under aseptic conditions). The prepared solution should be stored in a place protected from sunlight.

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Special instructions

Use of the drug may in the distant future lead to damage to the development of male and female germ cells and provoke secondary leukemia.

Shelf life

Dacarbazine medac is valid for three years from the date of manufacture, provided that the packaging and storage conditions are maintained.

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