Gemzar (Gemcitabine) for Breast Cancer

Overview
Gemzar is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in combination with the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel as a first-line treatment for metastatic breast cancer in individuals who have not benefited from prior anthracycline-containing chemotherapy. Gemzar is also known by its drug name, gemcitabine.

Gemzar is a nucleoside metabolic inhibitor. It’s thought to work by interfering with the DNA of cancer cells, preventing them from multiplying. Paclitaxel can enhance the effects of Gemzar by preventing cancer cells from dividing, helping to further slow down or stop the spread of cancer.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Gemzar is administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion. For the treatment of breast cancer, the recommended dosing schedule is to undergo a 30-minute infusion on Days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle. It is essential for the drug to be administered exactly as prescribed by a health care provider.

Side effects
Common side effects of Gemzar include nausea and vomiting, anemia (low red blood cell count), increased liver enzymes, neutropenia (low white blood cell count), proteinuria (excess protein in the urine), fever, hematuria (blood in the urine), rash, thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), dyspnea (difficulty breathing), and edema (swelling).

Rare but serious side effects may include severe myelosuppression (bone marrow suppression), pulmonary toxicity (lung damage), respiratory failure, hemolytic uremic syndrome (a condition that affects the blood and kidneys), hepatic toxicity (liver damage), capillary leak syndrome (a condition that causes fluid leakage from blood vessels), embryo-fetal toxicity (damage to an embryo or fetus), and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), a rare but serious neurological disorder.

For more information about this treatment, visit:

Gemcitabine Injection — MedlinePlus

Gemzar (Gemcitabine) for Injection, for Intravenous Use — U.S. Food & Drug Administration