Gemcitabine Hydrochloride and Edema

• Generic Name: gemcitabine
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Gemzar, Infugem

Used in combination with paclitaxel as first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer in patients who did not respond to previous anthracycline-containing chemotherapy or in whom such chemotherapy was contraindicated.

Used for initial treatment in patients with inoperable, locally advanced (stage IIIA or IIIB) or metastatic (stage IV) non-small cell lung cancer in combination with cisplatin.

Used as monotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer in patients with relapsed or refractory advanced non-small cell lung cancer who previously were treated with platinum-containing chemotherapy regimens or in those who have not received prior chemotherapy.

Use of chemotherapy generally is advised only in patients with good performance status (ECOG performance status of 0 or 1, and 2 in selected patients) and evaluable lesions so that treatment can be discontinued if the disease does not respond. Individualize decision to use chemotherapy according to several factors, including patient preference, toxicity, survival benefit, quality of life, and cost of treatment.

Used as first-line therapy for the palliative treatment of locally advanced (nonresectable stage II or III) or metastatic (stage IV) adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.

Also used as second-line therapy in patients previously treated with fluorouracil.

Used alone or in combination therapy (i.e., cisplatin) for the treatment of advanced or metastatic bladder cancer.

Objective responses to gemcitabine have been observed in patients with metastatic bladder cancer that did not respond to previous treatment with cisplatin-based regimens, including some patients with hepatic metastases.

Currently being investigated for use in the treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Use in combination with cisplatin is recommended (accepted) for the treatment of unresectable locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer (intrahepatic or extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer, or ampullary cancer), including unresectable recurrent disease following surgical resection, in patients with good performance status (ECOG performance status of 0 or 1).