Dactinomycin (Systemic)

Brand name(s): Cosmegen

Before Using This Medicine

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For dactinomycin, the following should be considered:

Allergies-Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to dactinomycin. Also tell your health care professional if you are allergic to any other substances such as foods, preservatives, or dyes.

Pregnancy-There is a chance that this medicine may cause birth defects if either the male or female is receiving it at the time of conception or if it is taken during pregnancy. Studies have shown that dactinomycin causes birth defects in animals. In addition, many cancer medicines may cause sterility which could be permanent. Although sterility has not been reported with this medicine, the possibility should be kept in mind.

Be sure that you have discussed this with your doctor before receiving this medicine. It is best to use some kind of birth control while you are receiving dactinomycin. Tell your doctor right away if you think you have become pregnant while receiving dactinomycin.

Breast-feeding-It is not known whether dactinomycin passes into breast milk. However, because this medicine may cause serious side effects, breast-feeding is generally not recommended while you are receiving it.

Children-Because of increased toxicity, use of dactinomycin in infants less than 6 to 12 months of age is not recommended.

Older adults-Many medicines have not been studied specifically in older people. Therefore, it may not be known whether they work exactly the same way they do in younger adults or if they cause different side effects or problems in older people. There is no specific information about the use of dactinomycin in the elderly.

Other medicines-Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When receiving dactinomycin it is especially important that your health care professional know if you are taking any of the following:

• Amphotericin B by injection (e.g., Fungizone) or
• Antithyroid agents (medicine for overactive thyroid) or
• Azathioprine (e.g., Imuran) or
• Chloramphenicol (e.g., Chloromycetin) or
• Flucytosine (e.g., Ancobon) or
• Ganciclovir (e.g., Cytovene) or
• Interferon (e.g., Intron A, Roferon-A) or
• Plicamycin (e.g., Mithramycin) or
• Zidovudine (e.g., AZT, Retrovir) or
• If you have ever been treated with radiation or cancer medicine-Dactinomycin may increase the effects of these medicines or radiation therapy on the blood

• Probenecid (e.g., Benemid) or
• Sulfinpyrazone (e.g., Anturane)-Dactinomycin may increase concentrations of uric acid in the blood. Since these medicines are used to lower uric acid levels, they may not be as effective in patients receiving dactinomycin

Other medical problems-The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of dactinomycin. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Cancer treatment, past or
• Radiation treatment, past-Caution should be used

• Chickenpox (including recent exposure) or
• Herpes zoster (shingles)-Risk of severe disease affecting other parts of the body

• Gout (or history of) or
• Kidney stones-Dactinomycin may increase levels of uric acid in the body, which can cause gout or kidney stones

• Infection-Dactinomycin can decrease your body's ability to fight infection

• Liver disease-Effects of dactinomycin may be increased

• Radiation treatment-If you are taking this medicine for Wilms' tumor and you are having radiation treatment or you have in the past two months, tell your doctor right away.

Last Revised: 01/27/2005