Doxorubicin Lipid Complex Injection

Doxorubicin lipid complex may cause serious or life-threatening heart problems at any time during your treatment or months to years after your treatment has ended. Your doctor will order tests before and during your treatment to see if your heart is working well enough for you to safely receive doxorubicin lipid complex These tests may include an electrocardiogram (ECG; test that records the electrical activity of the heart) and an echocardiogram (test that uses sound waves to measure your heart’s ability to pump blood). Your doctor may tell you that you should not receive this medication if the tests show your heart’s ability to pump blood has decreased. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had any type of heart disease or radiation (x-ray) therapy to the chest area. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking or have ever received certain cancer chemotherapy medications such as cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan), daunorubicin (Cerubidine, DaunoXome), epirubicin (Ellence), idarubicin (Idamycin), mitoxantrone (Novantrone), paclitaxel (Abraxane, Onxol), trastuzumab (Herceptin), or verapamil (Calan, Isoptin). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: shortness of breath; difficulty breathing; swelling of the hands, feet, ankles or lower legs; or fast, irregular, or pounding heartbeat.

You may experience a serious allergic reaction while you receive a dose of doxorubicin lipid complex injection. Tell your doctor or nurse immediately if you experience any of these symptoms while you receive doxorubicin lipid complex: hives; rash; itching; swelling of the face, eyes, mouth, throat, tongue, or lips; flushing; fever; chills; back pain; headache; difficulty breathing or swallowing; shortness of breath; or chest tightness.

Doxorubicin can cause a severe decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow. Your doctor will order laboratory tests regularly before and during your treatment. A decrease in the number of blood cells in your body may cause certain symptoms and may increase the risk that you will develop a serious infection or bleeding. Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking or have received azathioprine (Imuran), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), methotrexate (Rheumatrex), or progesterone (Provera, Depo-Provera). If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately: fever, sore throat, ongoing cough and congestion, or other signs of infection; unusual bleeding or bruising; bloody or black, tarry stools; bloody vomit; or vomiting blood or brown material that resembles coffee grounds.

Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had liver disease. Your doctor may need to change your dose if you have liver disease.

🔔 Why is this medication prescribed?

Doxorubicin lipid complex is used to treat ovarian cancer that has not improved or that has worsened after treatment with other medications. Doxorubicin lipid complex is also used to treat Kaposi’s sarcoma (a type of cancer that causes abnormal tissue to grow on different parts of the body) related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) that has not improved or that has worsened after treatment with other medications. Doxorubicin lipid complex is also in combination with another chemotherapy drug to treat multiple myeloma (a type of cancer of the bone marrow) that has not improved or that has worsened after treatment with other medications. Doxorubicin lipid complex is in a class of medications called anthracyclines. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.

🔔 How should this medicine be used?

Doxorubicin lipid complex comes as a liquid to be injected intravenously (into a vein) over 1 hour by a doctor or nurse in a medical facility. When doxorubicin lipid complex is used to treat ovarian cancer, it is given once every 4 weeks. When doxorubicin lipid complex is used to treat Kaposi’s sarcoma, it is given once every 3 weeks. When doxorubicin lipid complex is used to treat multiple myeloma, it is given on certain days every 3 weeks.

Part of the reason for these long wait times and short appointments is due to a nationwide shortage of physicians that is only getting worse. A report by the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts that, due to population growth and specifically growth of the elderly population, the physician shortfall in the U.S. could reach 121,300 by the year 2030.

Ask your pharmacist or doctor for a copy of the manufacturer’s information for the patient.

🔔 Other uses for this medicine

This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

🔔 What special precautions should I follow?

Before receiving doxorubicin lipid complex,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to doxorubicin, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in doxorubicin lipid complex injection. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking or plan to take. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and any of the following: certain chemotherapy medications such as cytarabine (DepoCyt), dexrazoxane (Zinecard), mercaptopurine (Purinethol), streptozocin (Zanosar); phenobarbital (Luminal Sodium); or phenytoin (Dilantin). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects. Other medications may also interact with doxorubicin lipid complex, so be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, even those that do not appear on this list.
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had any other medical conditions.
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding. You should not become pregnant or breast-feed while you are receiving doxorubicin lipid complex. If you become pregnant while receiving doxorubicin lipid complex, call your doctor. Doxorubicin lipid complex may harm the fetus.

🔔 What special dietary instructions should I follow?

Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.