![]() You may NOT be able to use doxorubicin if you have severe heart disease or severe liver disease. ![]() Patients typically receive injections every 21 to 28 days on a specific cycle, but your dose schedule may be different. Your doctor will monitor your heart before, during and after doxorubicin treatment. The higher the total dose you receive over time, the greater your chance for heart side effects. It works by inhibiting an enzyme known as topoisomerase 2 and blocking RNA and DNA synthesis, which leads to cell death.īecause of its heart toxicity (cardiotoxicity), doxorubicin has a maximum cumulative dose that can be given to each patient. The brand name product Adriamycin has now been discontinued in the U.S., but the generic doxorubicin is still on the market.ĭoxorubicin, in the drug class known as anthracyclines, has been used for decades in the treatment of various solid cancers such as breast cancer and ovarian cancer, or blood cancers like leukemia or lymphoma.Doxorubicin can cause harsh side effects such as heart toxicity (heart failure), severe nausea and vomiting, and total hair loss (alopecia).Doxorubicin may also cause your urine or other body fluids to turn a reddish color for 1 to 2 days after a dose is given, which is normal and temporary.It is an intravenous cancer medicine with a clear, bright red color, which is how it got its nickname. The chemotherapy (“chemo”) drug “The Red Devil” is doxorubicin ( Adriamycin).
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