Generic drug: mechlorethamine Brand name: Valchlor What is Valchlor (mechlorethamine), and how does it work? Valchlor is a prescription medicine used on the skin (topical) to treat people with Stage 1A and 1B mycosis fungoides-type cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, who have received previous skin treatment. It is not known if Valchlor...
Generic drug: omacetaxine mepesuccinate Brand name: Synribo What is Synribo (omacetaxine mepesuccinate), and how does it work? Synribo is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with a type of blood cancer called chronic myeloid leukemia (CML): that is in the chronic phase or accelerated phase, and who have not responded to (resistant) or cannot...
What is targeted cancer therapy? Cancer cells grow and proliferate endlessly. Targeted therapy to stimulate cell death or “apoptosis” can help keep tumors in check. Targeted cancer therapy is a focused treatment for certain cancers in which the specific cancer-causing factors can be identified and targeted with drugs. Targeted therapy involves administration of medications that...
Generic drug: trabectedin Brand name: Yondelis What is Yondelis (trabectedin), and how does it work? Yondelis (trabectedin) is a prescription medicine used to treat people with liposarcoma (cancer of the fat cells) or leiomyosarcoma (cancer of smooth muscle tissue) that: cannot be treated with surgery or has spread to other areas of the body, and...
What is cancer targeted therapy? Targeted antiangiogenic therapies inhibit the formation of new blood vessels in cancerous tumors by blocking the factors that promote angiogenesis (the scientific name for growing blood vessels). Targeted cancer therapies are specialized treatments focusing on specific factors that promote cancer growth and spread (metastasis). Targeted therapies involve administration of medications...
What is Somatuline Depot (lanreotide) Injection and how is it used? Somatuline Depot is a prescription medicine used for: the long-term treatment of people with acromegaly when: surgery or radiotherapy have not worked well enough or they are not able to have surgery or radiotherapy the treatment of adults with a type of cancer known...
Tumor suppressor genes encode proteins to modulate the process of cell growth and replication. Mutations which inactivate the tumor suppressor genes enable cancer cells to grow, unrestrained. Some targeted therapies aim to reactivate these genes, thus suppressing the tumor. What is targeted therapy for cancer? Targeted cancer therapy is a treatment with medications that target...
Generic drug: pegfilgrastim-cbqv Brand name: Udenyca What is Udenyca (pegfilgrastim-cbqv), and how does it work? Udenyca (pegfilgrastim-cbqv) is a prescription medicine used to treat the symptoms of Hematopoietic Subsyndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome and prevention of chemotherapy-induced Neutropenia. Udenyca may be used alone or with other medications. Udenyca belongs to a class of drugs called Hematopoietic...
What is Subsys, and how does it work? Subsys is: A strong prescription pain medicine that contains an opioid (narcotic) that is used to manage breakthrough pain in adults (18 years of age and older) with cancer who are already routinely taking other opioid pain medicines around-the-clock for cancer pain. Subsys is started only after...
Generic drug: goserelin acetate Brand name: Zoladex What is Zoladex (goserelin acetate), and how does it work? Zoladex (goserelin acetate) implant is a GnRH agonist used to treat a variety of conditions, including advanced breast cancer, prostate cancer, endometriosis, and endometrial thinning. Stage B2-C Prostatic Carcinoma Zoladex is indicated for use in combination with flutamide...