Plicamycin (patient information)

IMPORTANT WARNING:
Plicamycin is no longer available in the U.S. If you are currently taking plicamycin, you should call your doctor to discuss switching to another treatment.

Plicamycin can cause a decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow. Your doctor will order tests before, during, and after your treatment to see if your blood cells are affected by this drug.

About your treatment
Your doctor has ordered the drug plicamycin to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein.

This medication is used to treat:


 * testicular tumors
 * hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria associated with a variety of cancers

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Plicamycin is a type of antibiotic that is only used in cancer chemotherapy. It slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in your body. In addition, plicamycin may lower the amount of calcium in the blood. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.

Other uses for this medicine
Plicamycin is also used to treat glioblastomas and Paget's disease of bone. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.

Precautions
Before taking plicamycin:


 * tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to plicamycin or any other drugs.
 * tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially aspirin and vitamins.
 * tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a bleeding disorder or liver or kidney disease.
 * you should know that plicamycin may interfere with the normal menstrual cycle (period) in women and may stop sperm production in men. However, you should not assume that you cannot get pregnant or that you cannot get someone else pregnant. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should tell their doctors before they begin taking this drug. You should not plan to have children while receiving chemotherapy or for a while after treatments. (Talk to your doctor for further details.) Use a reliable method of birth control to prevent pregnancy. Plicamycin may harm the fetus.
 * do not have any vaccinations (e.g., measles or flu shots) without talking to your doctor.

Mild side effects
Side effects from plicamycin are common and include:


 * nausea and vomiting
 * loss of appetite
 * diarrhea
 * headache

Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or last for several hours:


 * fatigue, weakness
 * mouth blistering

Severe side effects
If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:


 * unusual bruising or bleeding (especially nosebleeds)
 * flushing in the face
 * yellowing of the skin or eyes
 * pain at the injection site
 * fever
 * chills
 * sore throat
 * cough
 * rash
 * dizziness

If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

In case of emergency/overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Brand names

 * Mithracin®

Other names

 * Mithramycin