Precautions
Gemcitabine is usually given in combination with another chemotherapy drug. This will either be paclitaxel (Taxol) or carboplatin. Gemcitabine is given intravenously (into a vein). This will usually be as an infusion (drip) into the hand or arm and takes about 30 minutes.
What is Gemzar used to treat?
Gemzar side effects are almost always reversible and will go away after treatment is complete. There are many options to help minimize or prevent Gemzar side effects. There is no relationship between the presence or severity of Gemzar side effects and the effectiveness of Gemzar.
What is the treatment for lung cancer with gemzar?
May 31, 2018 · Flushing the bladder with the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine after tumors have been removed surgically may reduce the risk of the cancer returning, according to the results of a large clinical trial. As this Cancer Currents blog post explains, the treatment approach is for patients with low-grade bladder cancer.
What should I do if Gemzar gets on my Skin?
You usually have gemcitabine as a course of several cycles of treatment. This means that you have the drug and then a rest to allow your body to recover. Usually a cycle of gemcitabine is over 3 to 4 weeks (21 to 28 days). You usually have gemcitabine once a week for 2 or 3 weeks and then a week with no treatment.
What should I know about Gemzar after radiation treatment?
Jun 10, 2019 · Your doctor will give the injection. Gemzar or gemcitabine can reduce blood cells that assist your body in battling infections and help in blood clotting. Your cancer treatment may be hindered depending on the outcome of these tests. If gemzar or gemcitabine injection spreads on your skin unintentionally, clean it using warm water and soap.
How long can you stay on Gemzar?
Usually a cycle of gemcitabine is over 3 to 4 weeks (21 to 28 days). You usually have gemcitabine once a week for 2 or 3 weeks and then a week with no treatment. You have gemcitabine on its own or in combination with other cancer drugs.
How many treatments are there in a chemo cycle?
During a course of treatment, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. A cycle is the time between one round of treatment until the start of the next. After each round of treatment you have a break, to allow your body to recover.
What treatment comes after chemotherapy?
Maintenance therapy is the treatment of cancer with medication, typically following an initial round of treatment. Maintenance treatment may include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, or targeted therapy.
How many cycles of gemcitabine can you have?
You usually have between 4 to 6 cycles of treatment taking from 3 to 6 months. You have gemcitabine as a drip into your bloodstream over 30 minutes.
How many days after chemo do you feel better?
You may experience nausea (feeling like you might throw up) and vomiting (throwing up) after your last chemotherapy treatment. It should go away in 2 to 3 weeks. Your appetite may continue to be affected due to taste changes you may have experienced during your treatment.Feb 7, 2022
Is 6 rounds of chemo a lot?
A series of cycles of treatment is called a course. A treatment course often takes between 3 to 6 months but it can be more or less than that. During that time, you would probably have between 4 to 8 cycles of treatment.
What should you not do after chemo?
9 things to avoid during chemotherapy treatmentContact with body fluids after treatment. ... Overextending yourself. ... Infections. ... Large meals. ... Raw or undercooked foods. ... Hard, acidic, or spicy foods. ... Frequent or heavy alcohol consumption. ... Smoking.More items...•May 5, 2021
What are the signs that chemo is working?
How Can We Tell if Chemotherapy is Working?A lump or tumor involving some lymph nodes can be felt and measured externally by physical examination.Some internal cancer tumors will show up on an x-ray or CT scan and can be measured with a ruler.Blood tests, including those that measure organ function can be performed.More items...
What should I ask my oncologist after treatment?
Questions to Ask Your Doctor When You Have Finished TreatmentHow long will it take for me to get better and feel more like myself?What kind of care should I expect after my treatment?What long-term health issues can I expect as a result of my cancer and its treatment?What is the chance that my cancer will return?More items...•Apr 11, 2022
How effective is Gemzar?
Patients taking Abraxane/Gemzar survived 5.5 months before their disease progressed, compared to 3.7 months in patients who took Gemzar alone. The overall response rate (patients who experienced tumor shrinkage) was 23 percent for Abraxane/Gemzar compared with 7 percent for Gemzar alone.
When was Gemzar approved?
In the U.S., Gemzar was approved for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic pancreas cancer in 1996 and, in combination with cisplatin, for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer in 1998.
When do Gemzar side effects start?
The following Gemzar side effects are common (occurring in more than 30%) for patients taking Gemzar: Flu-like symptoms (muscle pain, fever, headache, chills, fatigue) Fever (within 6-12 hours of first dose)
How long does it take for Gemcitabine to work?
Gemcitabine is given intravenously (into a vein). This will usually be as an infusion (drip) into the hand or arm and takes about 30 minutes.
What to expect before starting chemotherapy?
Before starting your treatment most hospitals will arrange a chemotherapy information session. At this appointment a nurse will discuss how and when your chemotherapy will be given and how side effects can be managed.
How to know if you have chemo?
If you experience any of the following symptoms contact your local A&E department, GP or treatment team straight away: 1 Pain, redness/discolouration, heat and swelling of the calf, leg or thigh 2 Swelling, redness or tenderness where a central line is inserted to give chemotherapy, for example in the arm, chest area or up into the neck 3 Shortness of breath 4 Tightness in the chest 5 Unexplained cough (or coughing up blood)
Why do I feel tired after breast cancer treatment?
It’s a very common side effect of breast cancer treatment and may affect you physically and emotionally. It has many causes, from psychological factors such as the stress of coping with the diagnosis, to physical ones such as the side effects of treatment or progression (growth and spread) of the cancer. If you think you have fatigue, tell your GP or treatment team so you can be fully assessed and offered advice on how to manage your energy levels.
Is breast cancer locally advanced?
Sometimes breast cancer is locally advanced when it is first diagnosed. This may also happen when breast cancer comes back after treatment and may be referred to as regional recurrence. Secondary (metastatic) breast cancer – breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. 3.
What temperature should I be for chemo?
• A high temperature (over 37.5°C) or low temperature (under 36°C), or whatever your chemotherapy team has advised#N#• Suddenly feel unwell, even with a normal temperature#N#• Symptoms of an infection, for example, a sore throat, a cough, a need to pass urine frequently or feeling cold or shivery
Does gemcitabine cause side effects?
Side effects of gemcitabine. Like any treatment, gemcitabine can cause side effects. Everyone reacts differently to drugs and some people have more side effects than others. These side effects can usually be managed and those described here will not affect everyone.
What is Gemzar used for?
What Gemzar Is Used For: Pancreas cancer. Non-small cell lung cancer. Bladder cancer. Soft-tissue sarcoma. Metastatic breast cancer. Ovarian cancer. Note: If a drug has been approved for one use, physicians sometimes elect to use this same drug for other problems if they believe it might be helpful.
How to treat a sore in the mouth?
To help treat/prevent mouth sores, use a soft toothbrush, and rinse three times a day with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of baking soda and/or salt mixed with 8 ounces of water. Use an electric razor and a soft to othbrush to minimize bleeding. Avoid contact sports or activities that could cause injury.
Why is chemotherapy given in cycles?
The scheduling of chemotherapy is set based on the type of cells, rate at which they divide, and the time at which a given drug is likely to be effective. This is why chemotherapy is typically given in cycles. Unfortunately, chemotherapy does not know the difference between the cancerous cells and the normal cells.
How many episodes of vomiting in 24 hours?
Nausea that interferes with eating and is not relieved by medications prescribed by your doctor. Vomiting (more than 4-5 episodes within a 24-hour period) Extreme fatigue (inability to perform self-care activities) Diarrhea (more than 4-6 episodes in a 24-hour period) Unusual bleeding or bruising.
What temperature is a fever?
Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, chills (possible signs of infection) The following symptoms require medical attention, but are not emergency situations. Contact your health care provider within 24 hours of noticing any of the following:
Does chemotherapy kill cells?
The faster the cells are dividing, the more likely it is that chemotherapy will kill the cells, causing the tumor to shrink. They also induce cell suicide (self-death or apoptosis). Chemotherapy drugs that affect cells only when they are dividing are called cell-cycle specific.
What are the cells that are most affected by chemo?
The "normal" cells most commonly affected by chemotherapy are the blood cells, the cells in the mouth, stomach and bowel, and the hair follicles; resulting in low blood counts, mouth sores, nausea, diarrhea, and/or hair loss. Different drugs may affect different parts of the body.
Another Option for Reducing Recurrences
Other studies have demonstrated that giving patients with low-grade bladder cancer the chemotherapy drug mitomycin C through a catheter following surgery can reduce the chance of a recurrence.
Selecting and Testing Gemcitabine
When Dr. Messing began research on gemcitabine as a possible way to reduce recurrences more than a decade ago, the drug was not widely used for bladder cancer. "We tried to pick an agent that we thought would be safe and effective," he said.
How long does gemcitabine last?
You might have gemcitabine once a week for 2 or 3 weeks. And then have a week or 2 with no treatment to allow the body to recover. The exact number of cycles and how long the cycle is depends on your cancer type.
How long does it take to get gemcitabine?
How you have gemcitabine. You have gemcitabine into your bloodstream. It takes about 30 minutes. You have the treatment through a drip into your arm or hand. A nurse puts a small tube (a cannula) into one of your veins and connects the drip to it. You might need a central line.
What are the effects of a syringe?
Each of these effects happens in more than 1 in 100 people (1%). You might have one or more of them. They include: 1 diarrhoea 2 constipation 3 difficulty sleeping 4 a sore mouth or mouth ulcers 5 loss of appetite 6 itchy skin 7 a cough 8 back or muscle pain 9 a runny nose 10 sweating 11 headaches 12 tiredness and weakness (fatigue) during and after treatment 13 drowsiness
Can cancer drugs interact with other drugs?
Cancer drugs can interact with some other medicines and herbal products. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies.
What do they check before and during a chemo treatment?
You have blood tests before and during your treatment. They check your levels of blood cells and other substances in the blood. They also check how well your liver and kidneys are working.
Can liver changes cause symptoms?
Liver changes. You might have liver changes that are usually mild and unlikely to cause symptoms . They usually go back to normal when treatment finishes. You have regular blood tests to check for any changes in the way your liver is working.
What are the symptoms of an infection?
Symptoms include a change in temperature, aching muscles, headaches, feeling cold and shivery and generally unwell. You might have other symptoms depending on where the infection is.
What is Gemzar used for?
Advertisement. Gemzar or gemcitabine is utilized effectively in treating cancers of the lung, breast, ovary and pancreas. Gemzar or gemcitabine can affect your lungs, kidneys or liver.
What are the side effects of gemcitabine?
Common side effects of gemzar or gemcitabine include: Advertisement. Unfamiliar bleeding, fever. Vomiting, nausea. Breathing problems. Urine tests or abnormal blood. Swelling of your feet or hands. Pink or red urine. Slight rash.
Does gemcitabine cause headaches?
Serious headache, unclear vision, bustling in your ears, seizure or convulsions and confusion are serious side effects of gemzar or gemcitabine. Liver issues such as itching, nausea, upper stomach pains, feeling tired, dark urine, loss of appetite, jaundice which is the yellowing of your eyes or skin, and clay colored stool.
What are the symptoms of a kidney injury?
Symptoms of injured red blood cells such as pale skin, blood spots in your urine, vomiting with stomach pains and bloody diarrhea. Symptoms of kidney issues such as difficult and painful urination, minute or no urination and swellings of your ankles or feet.
Can you take gemcitabine while pregnant?
You should not take gemzar or gemcitabine while pregnant, for it can hurt your unborn baby. Utilize nominal birth control and inform your physician if you conceive during treatment. It is not yet confirmed whether gemzar or gemcitabine gets into breast milk or if it can harm your nursing child.
What side effects did you experience while on this medication?
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus), severe nausea and vomiting resulting in dehydration, weight loss of 7 pounds in four days and that didn’t include the 6 pound fluid weight loss (but don’t recommend this diet), fatigue, infection and spent four days in the hospital. That was just with the first treatment. Other than that, it was a piece of cake….
See Expert Resources
The Navigating Care Library includes articles about cancer, chemotherapy regimens and drugs from the the National Cancer Institute and other experts.
What is Gemcitabine used for?
Gemcitabine is used to treat cancers of the pancreas, lung, ovary, and breast. Gemcitabine is sometimes given with other cancer medicines, or when other cancer treatments did not work or have stopped working. Gemcitabine may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What are the side effects of a syringe?
Common side effects may include: 1 fever; 2 nausea, vomiting; 3 low blood cell counts; 4 abnormal blood or urine tests; 5 shortness of breath; 6 swelling in your hands or feet; 7 rash; or 8 red or pink urine.
What are the signs of cancer?
signs of damaged red blood cells--unusual bruising or bleeding, pale skin, bloody diarrhea, red or pink urine, swelling, rapid weight gain, and little or no urination. Your cancer treatments may be delayed or permanently discontinued if you have certain side effects. red or pink urine.
Can you take gemcitabine while pregnant?
If you are a woman, do not use gemcitabine if you are pregnant. You may need to have a negative pregnancy test before starting this treatment. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine and for at least 6 months after your last dose.