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Dactinomycin (Intravenous Route)
Drug Information provided by: MicromedexUS Brand Names
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Description
Dactinomycin belongs to the group of medicines known as antineoplastics. It is used to treat some kinds of cancer of the bones and soft tissue, including muscles and tendons; Wilms' tumor (a cancer of the kidney found primarily in children); tumors in the uterus or womb; and cancer of the testicles.
Dactinomycin interferes with the growth of cancer cells, which are eventually destroyed. Since the growth of normal body cells may also be affected by dactinomycin, other effects will also occur. Some of these may be serious and must be reported to your doctor. Other effects, like hair loss, 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 dactinomycin, you and your doctor should talk about the good this medicine will do as well as the risks of using it.
Dactinomycin 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, dactinomycin is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:
- Kaposi's sarcoma (a type of cancer of the skin and mucous membranes)
- Osteosarcoma (a type of bone cancer found primarily in children)
This product is available in the following dosage forms:
- Powder for Solution
