Why is Gemzar given before cisplatin?
The recommendation to administer gemcitabine prior to cisplatin is based on results of phase 1 studies in adults with solid tumors, which indicated that this administration schedule may increase the generation of platinum-DNA adducts (potentially increasing efficacy) and reduce neutropenia.
What is the Calvert formula?
In this article, the development and application of a simple equation, known as the Calvert formula, are discussed. This formula can be used to calculate the carboplatin dose accurately in order to obtain a target AUC by using only the GFR. The formula is: dose (mg) = AUC (mg ml-1 min) x [GFR (ml/min) + 25 (ml/min)].
How many cycles of gemcitabine and cisplatin can you have?
You usually have between 4 to 6 cycles of treatment taking from 3 to 6 months.
How effective is gemcitabine and cisplatin?
Cisplatin plus gemcitabine significantly improved progression-free survival, with a median of 8.0 months (95% CI, 6.6 to 8.6) in the cisplatin–gemcitabine group as compared with 5.0 months (95% CI, 4.0 to 5.9) in the gemcitabine-only group (P<0.001).
What is Gemzar made from?
Gemzar is supplied in a sterile form for intravenous use only. Vials of Gemzar contain either 200 mg or 1 g of gemcitabine HCl (expressed as free base) formulated with mannitol (200 mg or 1 g, respectively) and sodium acetate (12.5 mg or 62.5 mg, respectively) as a sterile lyophilized powder.
How long can you take cisplatin?
Your course of chemotherapy Each cycle of cisplatin usually takes 21 days (3 weeks). You usually have the cisplatin on the first day of each cycle. But this will depend on the type of cancer you have. Your doctor or nurse will discuss your treatment plan with you.
What is the 25 in the Calvert formula?
Calvert formula: Dose=AUC x (GFR + 25) The value of 25 mL/min is the constant used to correct for carboplatin non-renal clearance and irreversible binding to tissues.
Why do we use the Calvert equation for carboplatin?
Abstract. The use of the Calvert formula to calculate carboplatin doses allows clinicians to achieve the appropriate carboplatin area under the concentration (AUC) curve. Thrombocytopenia is the dose limiting toxicity of carboplatin and optimizing AUC minimizes the risk of thrombocytopenia.
How long can you take gemcitabine?
You usually have gemcitabine as a course of several cycles of treatment. This means that you have the drug and then a rest to allow your body to recover. Usually a cycle of gemcitabine is over 3 to 4 weeks (21 to 28 days). You usually have gemcitabine once a week for 2 or 3 weeks and then a week with no treatment.
Do you lose your hair with cisplatin?
The different drugs used for chemotherapy make it more or less likely that you may lose your hair: Cisplatin – You don’t usually lose much of your hair, but it may thin. Paclitaxel (taxol) – You will usually lose your hair.
Is cisplatin a strong chemo?
Presently, cisplatin is one of the most powerful chemotherapeutic drugs used for the treatment of ovarian cancer; even though resistance is typical [20]. In ovarian germ cell cancer, the use of cisplatin brings about high response rates [21].
What kind of chemo is Gemzar?
Gemzar is an anti-cancer (“antineoplastic” or “cytotoxic”) chemotherapy drug. Gemzar is classified as an antimetabolite.
Is Gemzar an immunotherapy?
Gemcitabine was first licensed to treat tumours in 1997 and is still used as first or second line chemotherapy, typically in tumours which are often non-responsive to immunotherapy such as checkpoint inhibition and are in urgent need of more efficacious anti-cancer therapies.
What is the strongest chemo?
Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) is one of the most powerful chemotherapy drugs ever invented. It can kill cancer cells at every point in their life cycle, and it’s used to treat a wide variety of cancers. Unfortunately, the drug can also damage heart cells, so a patient can’t take it indefinitely.
Why do we use AUC dosing for carboplatin?
The FDA has recommended that physicians consider capping the dose of carboplatin for desired exposure (AUC) to avoid potential toxicity due to overdosing. The maximum dose is based on a GFR estimate that is capped at 125 mL/min for patients with normal renal function.
How do you calculate carboplatin dosing?
Background Info
- CALVERT FORMULA FOR CARBOPLATIN DOSING: Total Dose (mg) = (target AUC) x (GFR + 25)
- AUC = target area under the concentration versus time curve in mg/mL•min.
- GFR was measured by 51Cr-EDTA clearance.
- Relevant package insert data:
How strong is Gemzar?
Dosage for Gemzar The recommended dose of Gemzar is 1000 mg/m2 as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes on Days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle, in combination with carboplatin AUC 4 intravenously after Gemzar administration on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle.
Do you lose your hair with Gemzar?
You could lose all your hair. This includes your eyelashes, eyebrows, underarm, leg and sometimes pubic hair. Your hair will usually grow back once treatment has finished but it is likely to be softer. It may grow back a different colour or be curlier than before.
Is cisplatin a harsh chemo drug?
Cisplatin is an irritant. An irritant is a chemical that can cause inflammation of the vein through which it is given. If cisplatin escapes from the vein it can cause tissue damage. The nurse or doctor who gives cisplatin must be carefully trained.