Gemcitabine: A Step-By-Step Guide Gemcitabine is a cytotoxics group of drugs. It mainly kills the dividing cells, including cancerous cells. It may be given alone or together with other anticancer drugs, depending on the type of cancer. The gemcitabine uses are given as follows: 1. For NSCLC, alone or in combination with cisplatin 2. For pancreatic cancer 3. For breast cancer, in combination with paclitaxel 4. For ovarian cancer, in combination with carboplatin 5. For bladder cancer, in combination with cisplatin. Dosing Recommendations: Gemcitabine is for intravenous use only. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: 1000 mg/m2 over the half-hour on Days 1'st, 8'th, and 15'th of every 28-day cycle or 1250 mg/m2 over half-hour on the Days 1's & 8'th of each 21-day cycle. Pancreatic Cancer: 1000 mg/m2 over half-hour once in a week for the first 7 weeks, then one week rest, and then once weekly for 3 weeks of every 28-day cycle. Breast Cancer: 1250 mg/m2 over 30 minutes on Days 1'st & 8'th of each 21-day cycle. Ovarian Cancer: 1000 mg/m2 over 30 minutes on Days 1'st & 8'th of each 21-day cycle. How Gemcitabine Should be Given:
It is given by intravenous (IV, into a vein) infusion, over a period of 30 minutes. The dosage as well as schedule depends upon a person's size and type of cancer. It may be given alone or with other medicines or therapies, such as radiation. When you have Gemcitabine: You might have this drug once a week for 2 or 3 weeks. And then have a week or 2 with no treatment in order to allow the body to recover well. The number of cycles and how long the cycle is depends on your cancer type. Adverse Reactions: Most commonly reported gemcitabine side effects include: • Poor appetite • Headache • Insomnia • Sleepiness • Cough • Runny nose • Constipation • Diarrhoea