Cladribine (Intravenous Route)

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Cladribine (Intravenous Route)

US Brand Names

Description

Cladribine belongs to the group of medicines called antimetabolites. It is used to treat hairy cell leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. It is also sometimes used to treat other kinds of cancer, as determined by your doctor.

Cladribine interferes with the growth of cancer cells, which are eventually destroyed. Since the growth of normal body cells may also be affected by cladribine, other effects will also occur. Some of these may be serious and must be reported to your doctor. Other effects may not be serious but may cause concern. Some effects may not occur for months or years after the medicine is used.

Before you begin treatment with cladribine, you and your doctor should talk about the good this medicine will do as well as the risks of using it.

Cladribine is to be administered only by or under the immediate supervision of your doctor.

Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, cladribine is used in certain patients with the following conditions:

• Cancer of the blood and lymph system
• Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (a certain type of cancer of the blood)

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

• Solution

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