Mitoxantrone
Mitoxantrone belongs to the general group of medicines known as antineoplastics.
It is used to treat some kinds of cancer. It is also used to treat some forms of multiple
sclerosis (MS). This medicine will not cure MS, but may extend the time between relapses
Mitoxantrone is used to treat
- breast cancer
- myeloid leukaemia
- non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Side effects of Mitoxantrone
Temporary reduction in the production of blood cells by the bone marrow.
This can result in anaemia, risk of bruising or bleeding and infection. The number of
blood cells in your blood may begin to reduce from about seven days after the treatment
has been given and usually reaches its lowest point at 10-14 days after the chemotherapy.
The number of cells in your blood will then increase steadily and will usually return to
normal within 21-28 days.
The extent to which your blood cells are reduced depends on the dose of chemotherapy
you have and which other chemotherapy drugs, if any, are given in combination. Your doctor
can advise you how likely it is that your blood cells will be lowered by the chemotherapy.
Your blood will be checked regularly to see how well your bone marrow is working.
If your temperature goes above 38°C (100.5°F), or you develop any unexplained
bruising or bleeding, or you suddenly feel unwell, even with a normal temperature, contact
your doctor or the hospital straight away.
Discoloured urine. Your urine may become a blue/green colour. This may
last for 24 hours after you have had mitozantrone, and is due to the colour of the drug.
It is quite normal.
Nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting. There are now very effective
anti-sickness drugs to prevent or greatly reduce this. If you do feel sick it may happen
from the time that the treatment is given and last for about a day. If it is not
controlled, or continues, tell your doctor. They can prescribe other anti-sickness drugs
that may be more effective.
Tiredness and a general feeling of weakness. It is important to allow
yourself plenty of time to rest.
Less common side effects of Mitoxantrone
Sore mouth and taste change. Your mouth may become sore, or you may
notice small ulcers during this treatment. Drinking plenty of fluids and cleaning your
teeth regularly and gently with a soft toothbrush can help to reduce the risk of this
happening. Tell your doctor if you do have any of these problems as they can prescribe
special mouthwashes and medicine to prevent or clear any mouth infection.
You may notice that your food tastes different. Normal taste will come back after the
treatment finishes.
Diarrhoea. This can usually be easily controlled with medicine but let
your doctor know if it is severe or continues. It is important to drink plenty of fluids
if you do have diarrhoea.
Hair loss. This is uncommon and happens to very few people who have
mitozantrone. If it does happen, it usually begins about 3-4 weeks after the first dose.
Your hair may become a little thinner, but not usually enough to be noticeable to other
people. This is temporary, and the hair will regrow once the treatment is finished.
Your liver may be temporarily affected. Mitozantrone may cause changes
in the way that your liver works, which return to normal when the treatment is finished.
This is very unlikely to cause you any harm, but your doctor will monitor this carefully.
Samples of your blood will be taken from time to time to check your liver function.
Damage to the heart. Large doses of mitozantrone given over long
periods may cause damage to the heart, but this is rare with standard doses. It may occur
in people who have been treated with certain other drugs. Your doctor will normally check
how well your heart is working before giving you mitozantrone and at intervals during your
treatment. In this way, treatment can be stopped before any damage to the heart affects
your health.
The whites of your eyes may have a slight blue tint.
This is very uncommon. If it does happen, it is temporary. It is due to the colour of the
drug and will return to normal when the treatment finishes |