Dactinomycin Intravenous and Myelosuppression

• Generic Name: dactinomycin
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Cosmegen

Dactinomycin injection is used to treat certain types of cancer. This includes cancer of the bones and soft tissue, including muscles and tendons, (eg, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma), Wilms tumor (a cancer of the kidney found primarily in children), tumors in the uterus or womb (gestational trophoblastic neoplasia), and cancer of the testicles that has spread. It is also used to treat solid tumors that have come back (recurrent) to the same site after a previous treatment.

Dactinomycin interferes with the growth of cancer cells, which are eventually destroyed. Since the growth of normal body cells may also be affected by dactinomycin, other effects will also occur. Some of these may be serious and must be reported to your doctor. Other effects, like hair loss, may not be serious but may cause concern. Some effects may not occur for months or years after the medicine is used.

Before you begin treatment with dactinomycin, you and your doctor should talk about the benefits as well as the risks of using dactinomycin.

Dactinomycin is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of your doctor.