Chemotherapy - Vincristine
Brand Names: Oncovin, VCR, Vincasar Pfs
Vincristine is a chemotherapy drug that is administered for the treatment of acute leukemia, neuroblastoma, thyroid cancer, and lymphoma. It functions as an alkylating agent, meaning it prevents the replication of tumor cells by damaging the DNA.
The drug is used in the treatment of both Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and is administered in conjunction with other chemotherapy drugs in the following regimens:
- Stanford-V (adriamycin, mustargen, bleomycin, vinblastine, oncoving, etoposide, prednisone)
- BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, adriamycin, cytoxan, oncovin, prednisone, procarbazine)
- CHOP (cytoxan, adriamycin, oncovin, prednisone)
- CHOP-R (CHOP + rituxan)
- MOPP (mustargen, oncovin, procarbazine, prednisone)
Drug Administration
Vincristine is given intravenously (IV). It is a vesicant, meaning it will irritate arteries, so it should be given through a vein only.
Side Effects
The most common side effect of vincristine use is hair loss. Less common side effects include low blood counts, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, mouth sores, unusual bleeding and/or bruising, bone pain, and blood in the stool or urine.
Other Treatment Options
- The Zevalin radioimmunotherapy regimen is now approved for certain types of NHL.
For more information on Hodgkin's disease, please see the following pages:
- Hodgkin Disease: Chemotherapy
- Hodgkin Lymphoma: Treatment
- Hodgkin Lymphoma: Introduction
- Childhood Hodgkin's Disease: Chemotherapy
- Childhood Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Treatment
- Childhood Hodgkin's Lymphoma: Introduction
For more information on Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, please see the following pages:
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