What is doxorubicin?

Doxorubicin is a chemotherapeutic agent used to treat several types of cancer. In addition, this medicine is an antibiotic, which means it is produced by bacteria and is able to kill bacterial species. Doxorubicin is also called hydroxydunorubicin and is sold under brands such as Adriamycin® and Rubex®. It is believed that the drug can be involved in a process called intercalation of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). During the interclaration, the molecules without bottom are inserted into the DNA matrix, causing malformation of the DNA and finally into cell death. As with other chemotherapeutic substances, all types of cells may affect this drug. However, it is significantly stronger in the rapidly dividing cells because they occupy a larger amount of drugs.

The primary use of doxorubicin is in the treatment of chemotherapy for several cancer. This medicine is most commonly used to treat Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, sarcoma soft tissues and thyroid cancer, breast, lung, stomach, ovaries and bladder. LeafK is generally used in combination with at least one other chemotherapeutic agent, as most types of chemotherapy regimens are more effective when two or more chemotherapeutic drugs are used together.

Unlike many other antibiotics, the origin of this antibiotics was not in the laboratory. Instead, the predecessor of this cancer drug was discovered in the 1950s in samples of land taken from the 13th century Castle in Italy Andria. Soil samples have been found to contain previously unknown bacterial species called streptomyces peuucetius . Bacteria have created an antibiotic that has a significant anti -cancer activity. This antibiotic was named Dunorubicin.

Subsequently, it has been found that Dunorubicin may, in rare cases, to cause fatal heart problems in rare cases. To solve this problem, scientists mutated the types streptomyces peuucetius to produce a slightly modified form of daunorubicin, which was called doxorubicin. This antibiotic is a more effective anti -cancer agent than daunorubicin, but retains a certain cardiac toxicity.

The most common side effects of this cancer treatment are similar to those caused by other intravenous chemotherapeutic substances. These include nausea, vomiting, hair loss and reduced immune system function leading to infection vulnerability. Another possible side effect is the development of the manual foot syndrome, in which the lesions develop on the hands and feet, causing numbness, swelling and pain.

Although doxorubicin is less toxic than daunorubicin, there is still a significant risk of heart problems after achieving a certain cumulative dose. Possible heart problems include heart damage and congestive heart failure, one of which can cause death. Hreshings with EART are a risk as chemotherapy can react with iron and the resulting reactiveOxygen molecules can damage heart cells.