Epirubicin

• Epirubicin is used in the treatment of cancer of the breast, gastric cancer, advanced ovarian cancer, and small cell lung cancer.
• It is also used to help prevent bladder cancer reoccurrence after surgery.

When should one not use Epirubicin

• If you are allergic to epirubicin, other anthracyclines/ anthracenedione, or any other ingredient of Epirubicin.
• If you have a reduced number of blood cells caused by previous treatment with either other anti-cancer agents or radiotherapy.
• If you have been treated with the maximum amount of medicine or radiation given to a patient over time of other anthracyclines such as doxorubicin or daunorubicin. If you are not sure what these medicines are, please confirm with your doctor.
• If you have or had heart disorders (like NYHA class IV heart failure, acute heart attack, previous death of tissue resulting from a failure of blood supply, acute inflammatory heart diseases, or irregular heartbeat).
• If you have any infection affecting the entire body.
• If you have liver problems.
• If you have mucositis (soreness and inflammation) of the mouth, pharynx, food pipe, and gastrointestinal tract.
• If you are breastfeeding.

Common side effects of this drug are:

• Diarrhoea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite

Other General Warnings

• You have liver, kidney, or heart disorders.
• You have any kind of infection in the body.
• You have an inflamed and sore mouth/gut, or reduced blood cells.
• You experience abnormal heart rhythms with a rapid heartbeat after using this medicine.
• You develop signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure (CHF) such as difficulty breathing, swelling in the legs/feet/arms, low urine output than normal, and fluid accumulation in the abdomen.
• You are taking a medicine called trastuzumab for the treatment of cancer.
• You have recently received or plan to receive any vaccines.
• You are planning on becoming pregnant.

How Does It Work?

Interactions with other medicines

• Some medicines can affect the way Epirubicin works or this medicine itself can reduce the effectiveness of other medicines taken at the same time.
• Tell your doctor about all medicines, supplements, or herbals you are currently taking or might take to avoid any possible interaction.
• Particular care should be taken if you are taking medicines like cimetidine - used for treating ulcers/GERD; dexverapamil - used to treat irregular/abnormal heart rhythm; dexrazoxane - used to protect the heart and other tissues from harmful side effects caused by certain cancer medications; docetaxel, interferon α2b - used for treating cancer; calcium channel blockers - used to treat high blood pressure, and quinine - used for treating malaria.
• Epirubicin used in combination with other anti-cancer medicines that kill cancer cells may result in additive bone marrow suppression.
• The effect of this medicine on the heart is increased by certain radiotherapeutic treatments and by previous or concomitant use of other anthracycline derivatives (mitomycin-C, dacarbazine, dactinomycin, and possibly cyclophosphamide) or other medicines affecting the heart (5-fluorouracil, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, taxanes).
• Medicines used for the treatment of tuberculosis like rifampicin and fits/seizures like barbiturates can result in a reduction of the efficacy of Epirubicin.
• This medicine should not be used in combination with live attenuated vaccines.
• Concomitant use of this medicine with cyclosporine may cause excessive suppression of the immune system.

Overdose

Missed a Dose