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Generic Name: Vincristine
Brand Name(s): Oncovin®, Vincasar PFS®, Vincrex®
IUPAC:
FDA Approval: yes
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Usage: Vincristine is administered intravenously and is used to treat many different types of cancer. It is frequently used in combination with other drugs.
Malignancies in which vincristine is used include acute
leukemia, rhabdoyosarcoma, neuroblastoma, Hodgkin's disease and other lymphomas, lymphorecticular neoplasms, childhood leukemias.
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Mechanism: Vincristine's (Oncovin®, Vincasar PFS®, Vincrex®) anti-cancer properties result from its ability to inhibit cell division during early
mitosis. Vincristine binds to the tubulin monomers preventing the formation of spindle microtubules. By binding to the building blocks of microtubules, vincristine disables the cell's mechanism for aligning and moving the chromosomes. Vincristine stops the separation of the duplicated chromosomes and prevents cell division. While vincristine works to keep the cancer cells from dividing, it does not selectively inhibit cancer cell division. It can also halt the division of some healthy cells, leading to some of the common side effects discussed below.
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Side Effects: Unlike some of the other vinca alkaloids, vincristine does not cause severe bone marrow suppression (decreased blood cell counts).
Common side effects include hair loss, pain/redness at location of injection, nausea/stomach pain/vomiting, lowered blood cell count, numbness, headache, constipation, nervous system problems such as neuropathy or sensory impairment, blurred or double vision, back pain, overall weakness. This drug should not be taken by a patient who is pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or breast-feeding as it may cause birth defects. Patients should not receive any immunizations (vaccinations) while taking this medication. Vincristine may cause immunosuppression (weakened immunity) and vaccinations could lead to an illness. Patients should notify their clinician about any prescription drugs taken concurrently with the
chemotherapy and any other medical conditions, such as, chickenpox, herpes zoster infection, gout, kidney stones, infections, liver disease, nerve or muscle disease.
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