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Doxorubicin is an anticancer chemotherapy drug sometimes marketed under the brand name Adriamycin.[1] The drug is categorized as a cytotoxic anthracycline antibiotic, and it is created using cultures of the bacterium Streptomyces peucetius var. caesius.[2]
Like the platinum-based drugs cisplatin and carboplatin, doxorubicin directly interferes with the bonds within cancer cell DNA to prevent protein synthesis, DNA replication, or cellular repair. The molecule also interferes with a critical enzyme cancer cells require to duplicate DNA.[3]
Doxorubicin forms oxygen free radicals that can cause damage to cell walls, leading to possible side effects in the heart, blood vessels, or skin.[4]
Doxorubicin is administered intravenously.[5]
Oncologists use doxorubicin for a large variety of cancers, including leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, ovarian cancer, small cell lung cancer, thyroid cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, neuroblastoma, and malignant mesothelioma. The drug is considered particularly when these cancers have begun to metastisize to other regions of the body.[6]
Trials of doxorubicin for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma have shown promising palliative results in patients with unresectable MPM. The toxicity profile is relatively low, leading to an improvement in the patient’s overall quality of life scores.[7]
Combined use of doxorubicin and valproic acid has also shown a favorable response rate as a second-line treatment.[8]
Side effects of doxorubicin include[9]:
- Stomach pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Mouth sores
- Hair loss
- Separation of fingernails and toenails
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Eye pain
- Discolored urine
- Increased thirst
- Weight gain
- Dizziness
Serious side effects can include: hives, a skin rash, severe itchy, difficulty swallowing or breathing, and even seizures. These side effects should be reported to the patient’s doctor immediately.
[1] https://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/treating/chemotherapy/drugs-and-combination-regimens/individual-drugs/doxorubicin.html
[2] https://www.drugbank.ca/drugs/DB00997
[3] https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Doxorubicin
[4] https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-drug/def/doxorubicin-hydrochloride
[5] https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/cancer-drugs/drugs/doxorubicin
[6] https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/doxorubicinhydrochloride
[7] https://www.nature.com/articles/bjc201244
[8] https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/37/1/129
[9] https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682221.html
