Adriamycin

[JoJo]

I was previously told that we could have only 4 cycles of Adriamycin ever, but then I just heard that with the drug of Xenacard (actually have no idea what exactly that is, but supposed to prevent from heart toxicity), there is no limited to our lifetime dosage on Adriamycin.

Does anybody here have the definite answer?? Thanks!

[Janelle]

JoJo...
My onc told me about 2 weeks ago that I was close to my lifetime max of A/C, which is why I am doing Navelbine for the liver mets. So there must be something to the limit.

Janelle

[madubois63]

http://www.tirgan.com/cardiom.htm

"More recently, a new drug, Zinecard, was approved to reduce the cardiac side effects of Adriamycin. Another approach to prevent the cardiac side effects of Adriamycin has lead into development of Liposomal Packaged medicines, (DaunoXome, Doxil)

Mitoxantrone, on the other hand, can be used as a substitute for Adriamycin. This drug is less cardiac toxic and better tolerated."

There is a recommended lifetime max for adriamycin that many doctors are still going with. I was told I can never have adriamycin again and I'm sticking with that unless that is the last thing. There are so many other
drugs available I hope it doesn't come down to that.

[anonymous]

It is not the total number of times you have had adriamycin, but rather the total dose. The life time dose of adriamycin is 450 mg per meter square of body surface area ( calculated based on weight and height ). Usually, the dose of adriamycin given with cytoxan ( AC ) is either 50 or 60 mg per meter squared so after 4 doses, you would be nowhere near your lifetime max.

There used to be some concern that using zinecard with adriamycin to protect the heart might have reduced its efficacy but that was a few years back. I don't know what the recent thinking is. I know it is not used alot. I do know that if adriamycin is given slowly as opposed to a quick IV push, it is thought to be less toxic.