Precautions
May 02, 2019 · My Vidaza treatments consists of treatment each month for five consecutive days. During the holidays (e.g., Thanksgiving, New Years, Christmas) I receive treatment for four days instead of five. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please don’t hesitate to ask! April 24, 2019 at 3:55 pm #46579 Chris Ballmer Participant
How long does Vidaza take to work?
Nov 13, 2020 · Vidaza injection is injected under the skin, or given as an infusion into a vein. A healthcare provider will give you this injection, usually for 7 days in a row every 4 weeks for at least 4 treatment cycles. If any Vidaza injection accidentally gets on your skin, wash it thoroughly with soap and warm water. Your treatment schedule may be different.
How many treatment cycles of Vidaza are needed to improve survival?
Feb 26, 2019 · How long can we be on Vidaza ? ,m 68 years old, being with MDS for the past 3 years, 2 and haft years on Vidaza, seems working fine , but for the past month my Hemo goes down , ( I only got problems with my Hemoglobin levels no other problems , and barely symptoms ) to the point I needed a Blood Transfusion last month, Vidaza 5 days every 5 ...
How often can you take Vidaza for vomiting?
Estimated total infusion time for this treatment: 30 minutes. Infusion times are based on clinical studies, but may vary depending on doctor preference or patient tolerability. Pre-medications and intravenous (I.V.) fluids, such as hydration, may add more …
Can Vidaza be given subcutaneously?
Feb 21, 2022 · VIDAZA solution is administered intravenously. Administer the total dose over a period of 10 - 40 minutes. The administration must be completed within 1 hour of reconstitution of the VIDAZA vial.
How long is Vidaza treatment for leukemia?
How long will I be on VIDAZA? VIDAZA is not a one-time treatment. Treatment cycles are given every 28 days for as long as your doctor recommends them. It may take several cycles (about 4 to 6 months) for your doctor to notice a difference.
How many rounds of chemo is given for MDS?
Patients often need more than 1 round of treatment given monthly before it starts improving their health. People with high-risk subtypes of MDS who have an increased risk of developing AML may benefit from conventional chemotherapy.
What is the success rate of Vidaza?
This analysis showed that 50 percent of the AML patients who were treated with VIDAZA survived at least two years, compared to only 16 percent of patients treated with CCR.Dec 10, 2008
How long does MDS treatment last?
Survival statistics for MDSIPSS-R risk groupMedian survivalLow5.3 yearsIntermediate3 yearsHigh1.6 yearsVery high0.8 years1 more row•Jan 22, 2018
Can Vidaza cure MDS?
If other treatment is needed, a chemotherapy drug such as azacitidine (Vidaza) or decitabine (Dacogen) is often the first choice, especially for patients with lower-risk forms of MDS.Jan 22, 2018
Can MDS go into remission?
Patients who get the higher-dose treatment are more likely to have their MDS go into remission, but they can also have more severe, even life-threatening side effects, so this treatment is typically given in the hospital. Still, this treatment may be an option for some patients with advanced MDS.Jul 7, 2020
Can you drink alcohol while taking Vidaza?
The drinking of alcohol (in small amounts) does not appear to affect the safety or usefulness of azacitidine. is best to use birth control while being treated with azacitidine. Women of childbearing potential should continue using birth control up to 3 months after treatment.Feb 1, 2013
Can Vidaza put MDS in remission?
Previous studies demonstrated that Vidaza alone contributed to 40% responses, of whom 20% achieved complete remission, in addition to a short response duration and an overall survival of six months for patients with TP53-mutated myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia.Apr 2, 2021
Can Vidaza cure AML?
The researchers concluded that treatment with Vidaza may provide an effective alternative therapeutic approach for elderly patients diagnosed with AML who are not candidates for standard induction therapy. Further studies are necessary to determine the effectiveness of Vidaza among these patients.
How do you know if MDS is progressing?
MDS has a different type of staging system. Doctors classify the disease using the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R). Your IPSS-R score helps your doctor determine how fast your disease is likely to progress (your prognosis).
Can you live 20 years with MDS?
With current treatments, patients with lower-risk types of some MDS can live for 5 years or even longer. Patients with higher-risk MDS that becomes acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are likely to have a shorter life span.
How quickly does MDS progress?
The pace of progression varies. In some individuals the condition worsens within a few months of diagnosis, while others have relatively little problem for several decades. In about 50 percent of cases, MDS deteriorates into a form of cancer known as acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
Before Taking This Medicine
You should not receive Vidaza if you are allergic to azacitidine or mannitol, or if you have: 1. advanced liver cancer.To make sure Vidaza is safe...
Vidaza Dosing Information
Usual Adult Dose of Vidaza for Myelodysplastic Syndrome:For use in the treatment of patients with the following myelodysplastic syndrome subtypes:...
What Should I Avoid While Using Vidaza?
Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using Vidaza, or you could develop a serious infection. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR),...
What Other Drugs Will Affect Vidaza?
Other drugs may interact with azacitidine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your...
How often do you get azacitidine?
If azacitidine is scheduled to be given for 7 days each cycle and you need weekends off, you may receive days 1 - 5 of azacitidine on Monday-Friday, skip Saturday and Sunday, then resume treatment on Monday and Tuesday, on days 6 and 7. Azacitidine is repeated every 28 days. This is known as one cycle.
How many people discontinue Azacitidine?
Side effects sometimes have percentage ranges [example 38 – 45%] because they differed between in clinical studies: On average, 3 - 9% of patients discontinue azacitidine due to unacceptable side effects.
Why is azacitidine given?
Azacitidine is given to help increase blood cell counts, reduce the risk of infection, reduce the amount of blood transfusions needed, decrease the risk of bleeding, and to prevent MyeloDysplastic Syndrome (MDS) from transforming to acute leukemia. Azacitidine is not commonly given with the goal of cure.
How long does it take for blood transfusions to improve?
On average, it takes 3 - 4 cycles (= 3 - 4 months) to see an improvement in the White Blood Cell count, Red Blood Cell count/Hemoglobin, or Platelet count
Does Medicare preauthorize Vidaza?
Medicare and Medicaid patients (Patients 65 years or older): The clinic providing treatment will likely pre-authorize medications and immune therapies such as Azacitidine (Vidaza®) and are the best source to help you understand drug cost.
Can I give I.V. over time?
Sometimes intravenous (I.V.) medications are given over a pre-specified period of time, depending upon the medication and cancer type. Tell your doctor what your work schedule looks like and the type of work you do so that you can decide together on a treatment that makes the most sense for you.
Is azacitidine stopped?
Treatment is continued until azacitidine is no longer working or it is stopped because of unacceptable side effects. Infusion times are based on clinical studies, but may vary depending on doctor preference or patient tolerability. Pre-medications and intravenous (I.V.) fluids, such as hydration, may add more time.
How long can a vial of a syringe be kept at room temperature?
The product may be held at room temperature for up to 1 hour, but must be administered within 1 hour after reconstitution.
Is Vidaza compatible with Hespan?
VIDAZA is incompatible with 5% Dextrose solutions, Hespan, or solutions that contain bicarbonate. These solutions have the potential to increase the rate of degradation of VIDAZA and should therefore be avoided.
What is Vidaza used for?
In May 2004, Vidaza became the first drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS). The FDA approved Vidaza, the first in a new class of drugs called demethylation agents, for treatment of all five MDS subtypes, which include both low-risk and high-risk patients. These subtypes include: refractory anemia (RA) or refractory anemia with ringed sideroblasts (RARS) if accompanied by neutropenia or thrombocytopenia or requiring transfusions; refractory anemia with excess blasts (RAEB), refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation (RAEB-T), and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMMoL).
What is Vidaza anti-cancer?
Vidaza is the first of a new class of anti-cancer compounds known as epigenetic therapies. Epigenetics refers to changes in the regulation of gene expression, and DNA methylation and histone deacetylation are two of the more studied epigenetic regulators of gene expression. Epigenetic changes can silence gene expression and, unlike DNA mutations, may be reversed by targeting the mechanisms involved. The silencing of key cell cycle control genes and tumor suppressor genes through these two mechanisms of epigenetic regulation has been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo in hematological malignancies and in solid tumors. These key growth control genes can be re- expressed in cancer cells when DNA hypermethylation is reversed by Vidaza. The epigenetic approach to cancer therapy is that rather than using molecules that kill both normal, and tumor cells, the silenced genes are reactivated through targeted epigenetic therapy, re-establishing the cancer cell's natural mechanisms to control abnormal growth.
How Does Vidaza Work For Myelodysplastic Syndrome?
Vidaza or azacitidine (5-azacytidine) is a pyrimidine (one of the bases in DNA and RNA) nucleoside analog of cytidine. It has an antineoplastic activity by two mechanisms:
Can It Cure Myelodysplastic Syndrome?
No, Vidaza or azacitidine does not cure myelodysplastic syndrome. The only potential cure for myelodysplastic syndrome is allogeneic stem cell transplantation but unfortunately, most patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome are elderly people with other comorbidities therefore, most of them are not candidates for transplantation.
Caution
Females should not get pregnant while on the treatment as it can harm the baby.
Conclusion
Vidaza is the trade name of the drug azacitidine which belongs to the drug group hypomethylating agents. Vidaza or Azacitidine (5-azacytidine) is a pyrimidine nucleoside analog of cytidine.