If I Had Bendamustine Before Can I Use It Again

Bendamustine (Levact)

Bendamustine is a treatment for:

• non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
• myeloma

How it works

Bendamustine is a type of chemotherapy drug called an alkylating agent.

These drugs work by interfering with the DNA in cancer cells. The cells can't divide into 2 new cells so the cancer can't grow

How you have it

You have bendamustine every bit cycles of treatment. Your handling plan depends on which type of cancer you lot have. And whether yous're having bendamustine on its own or with other chemotherapy drugs.

Yous have bendamustine every bit a drip into your bloodstream (intravenously). Each handling takes betwixt 30 and 60 minutes.

You can have information technology through a thin short tube (a cannula) that goes into a vein in your arm each time y'all accept treatment. You can also have it through a long line: a central line, a PICC line or a portacath.

These are long, plastic tubes that requite the drugs into a large vein in your chest. The tube stays in identify throughout the class of your handling.

When you have treatment

Not-Hodgkin lymphoma

You accept bendamustine every 4 weeks on twenty-four hours ane and twenty-four hours two of your cycle. Each 4 week period is a bicycle of handling. You then take a break from day iii to day 28. This completes 1 cycle of treatment. You accept a total of half-dozen cycles of handling.

You might also accept another drug chosen rituximab.

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

You take bendamustine every iv weeks on 24-hour interval 1 and day 2 of your cycle. Each 4 week period is a wheel of treatment. You then have a break from day iii to mean solar day 28. This completes one bike of treatment. You lot accept a total of 6 cycles of treatment.

Y'all also have another drug called rituximab with this drug. You have it on 24-hour interval 1 of each cycle.

Myeloma

You accept bendamustine every 4 weeks on day 1 and day ii of your cycle. And you take the steroid, (methyl)prednisolone either as a baste into your bloodstream or as a tablet for the starting time 4 days. Each 4 week period is a bicycle of treatment. You and so have a interruption from day 3 to 24-hour interval 28. This completes one bike of handling.

You lot accept at to the lowest degree 3 cycles of treatment.

Tests

You have claret tests earlier and during your treatment. They check your levels of blood cells and other substances in the claret. They too check how well your liver and kidneys are working.

Side effects

How often and how severe the side furnishings are can vary from person to person. They too depend on what other treatments you're having. For instance, your side furnishings could exist worse if you're also having other drugs or radiotherapy.

When to contact your team

Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you closely during treatment and check how you are at your appointments. Contact your advice line as soon as possible if:

• you have astringent side effects
• your side effects aren't getting any better
• your side furnishings are getting worse

Early on treatment can assist manage side effects better.

Contact your doctor or nurse immediately if you accept signs of infection, including a temperature above 37.5C or below 36C.

Nosotros haven't listed all the side furnishings here. Call back information technology is very unlikely that you volition have all of these side effects, but you might have some of them at the aforementioned time.

Common side effects

These side effects happen in more 10 in 100 people (more than than 10%). Y'all might have one or more of them. They include:

Increased risk of getting an infection

Increased take chances of getting an infection is due to a drib in white blood cells. Symptoms include a change in temperature, aching muscles, headaches, feeling cold and shivery and mostly unwell. You might have other symptoms depending on where the infection is.

Infections tin sometimes be life threatening. You should contact your advice line urgently if yous retrieve you take an infection.

Breathlessness and looking pale

You might be breathless and look pale due to a drop in cherry-red blood cells. This is called anaemia.

Bruising, bleeding gums or nosebleeds

This is due to a drop in the number of platelets in your claret. These blood cells help the blood to clot when we cut ourselves. Yous may accept nosebleeds or bleeding gums after brushing your teeth. Or yous may have lots of tiny red spots or bruises on your artillery or legs (known as petechiae).

Feeling or being sick

Feeling or being sick is normally well controlled with anti sickness medicines. Avoiding fatty or fried foods, eating small meals and snacks, drinking plenty of water, and relaxation techniques can all assist.

Information technology is of import to accept anti sickness medicines as prescribed even if you don't feel ill. It is easier to prevent sickness rather than treating it once it has started.

Tiredness and weakness (fatigue)

Tiredness and weakness (fatigue) can happen during and subsequently treatment - doing gentle exercises each day can keep your energy up. Don't button yourself, residuum when you get-go to feel tired and ask others for help.

Inflammation of tissue (mucosa)

The mucosa lines a number of different areas in the body such as your mouth, bowel and airways. These can become inflamed and crusade side furnishings. For example if this happens in the bowel it tin cause symptoms such as  diarrhoea, hurting, cramps and swelling of the tummy (belly)

Headaches

Tell your doctor or nurse if yous continue getting headaches. They can requite you painkillers to aid.

Kidney damage

To aid prevent kidney damage, it is important to potable enough of h2o. You might also have fluids into your vein before, during and after treatment. Yous have blood tests before your treatments to check how well your kidneys are working.

Occasional side effects

These side effects happen in betwixt i and 10 out of every 100 people (between 1 and 10%). You might have i or more of them. They include:

• pilus loss
• difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• eye changes (such equally a fast heartbeat)
• high or low blood pressure
• diarrhoea or constipation
• liver changes - that are picked up on claret tests
• allergic reaction
• periods stopping
• loss of appetite
• kidney changes - that are picked up on blood tests
• difficulty breathing
• feeling empty-headed
• shivering or shaking (chills)
• lack of fluid in the body (dehydration)
• high levels of chemicals in your blood due to the breakdown of tumour cells (tumour lysis syndrome) - you accept regular claret tests to check for this
• sore mouth
• allergic skin reaction – symptoms might include cherry, raised, bloated, sore, itchy bumps that suddenly appear
• pain in unlike parts of the torso
• low potassium levels in the claret
• skin problems include a peel rash, dry skin and itching. This usually goes dorsum to normal when your treatment finishes. It is important to check your peel regularly for any abnormal areas.

Rare side effects

These side effects happen in fewer than 1 in 100 people (fewer than 1%). You might take i or more of them. They include:

• a astringent whole body infection that can exist life threatening (sepsis)
• fluid effectually the heart (pericardial effusion)
• severe allergic reaction that can crusade a rash, shortness of breath, redness or swelling of the face up and dizziness
• heart assail
• a 2d cancer (astute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome MDS)
• sleepiness (somnolence) - practice not drive or operate machinery if yous are drowsy

Other side effects

There isn't enough data to work out how often these side effects might happen. You might have one or more of them. They include:

• a severe peel reaction that may start as tender red patches which leads to peeling or baking of the pare. You might too feel feverish and your optics may be more than sensitive to light. This is serious and could be life threatening.
• an increased risk of developing a not melanoma skin cancer. Information technology is important to check your skin regularly for any abnormal areas while taking bendamustine. Tell your md or nurse if y'all notice any changes.

• a very rare infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). It affects the central nervous system . Symptoms might include changes in behaviour and personality, awkwardness, balance bug, feeling generally weak, difficulty with movements with your artillery and legs, eyesight changes and memory bug such as difficulty remembering things.

Coping with side effects

Nosotros have more than information about side furnishings and tips on how to cope with them.

What else practise I need to know?

Other medicines, foods and drink

Cancer drugs can collaborate with another medicines and herbal products. Tell your doctor or pharmacist well-nigh any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies.

Pregnancy and contraception

This drug may damage a infant developing in the womb. It is important not to become meaning or father a child while you are having treatment with this drug and for at least six months later on. Talk to your doc or nurse nearly effective contraception before starting handling.

Fertility

You lot may not exist able to become pregnant or father a child later treatment with this drug. Talk to your doctor earlier starting treatment if you lot think you may desire to have a infant in the futurity.

Men might be able to store sperm before starting treatment. And women might exist able to store eggs or ovarian tissue. Just these services are not bachelor in every hospital, so you would need to ask your doctor about this.

Breastfeeding

Don't breastfeed during this handling because the drug may come up through into your breast milk.

Treatment for other weather condition

E'er tell other doctors, nurses, pharmacists or dentists that y'all're having this treatment if yous need treatment for annihilation else, including teeth problems.

Immunisations

Don't take immunisations with live vaccines while y'all're having treatment and for up to 12 months later. The length of time depends on the treatment you are having. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should avoid live vaccinations.

In the UK, live vaccines include rubella, mumps, measles, BCG, yellow fever and one of the shingles vaccines called Zostavax.

You can accept:

• other vaccines, merely they might non requite you equally much protection as usual
• the flu vaccine (as an injection)
• the coronavirus (COVID-xix) vaccine - talk to your md or chemist about the best time to have it in relation to your cancer handling

Members of your household who are anile v years or over are also able to accept the COVID-nineteen vaccine. This is to assistance lower your run a risk of getting COVID-xix while having cancer treatment and until your immune system recovers from handling.

Contact with others who have had immunisations - You can exist in contact with other people who have had live vaccines as injections. Avert close contact with people who take recently had live vaccines taken past rima oris (oral vaccines) such as the oral typhoid vaccine.

If your allowed system is severely weakened, you should avert contact with children who have had the flu vaccine every bit a nasal spray every bit this is a alive vaccine. This is for ii weeks post-obit their vaccination.

Babies have the alive rotavirus vaccine. The virus is in the baby's poo for about two weeks and could make you ill if your immunity is low. Become someone else to modify their nappies during this fourth dimension if you tin. If this isn't possible, wash your hands well afterwards changing their nappy.

More data nigh this treatment

For further data virtually this treatment go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website.

You lot can report any side issue you take to the Medicines Wellness and Regulatory Authority (MHRA) every bit part of their Yellow Menu Scheme.

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Source: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/drugs/bendamustine

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