Totect

Generic name:dexrazoxane [ dex-ray-ZOX-ane ]
Drug class:Miscellaneous uncategorized agents

Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Last updated on Mar 2, 2021.

What is Totect?

Totect is used to protect the heart and other tissues from harmful side effects caused by certain cancer medications.

Totect is used in men or women to treat a condition called extravasation (es-TRA-va-ZAY-shun). Extravasation happens when an injected medicine escapes from the blood vessels and circulates into tissues in the body. Serious tissue damage can occur when extravasation happens during injection of certain cancer medications.

Totect is also used to help prevent chemotherapy-related heart problems in women who are receiving doxorubicin for metastatic breast cancer. This medicine is given only after you have received enough doxorubicin infusions to amount to a certain total dose.

Warnings

You should not receive Totect if you are pregnant. Dexrazoxane can harm an unborn baby or cause birth defects if the mother or father is using this medicine. Tell your caregivers if you are pregnant, or if you are a man and your partner is able to get pregnant.

Tell your doctor at once if you have signs of infection such as fever, chills, sore throat, easy bruising or bleeding, skin sores, or warmth and redness of any surgical incision.

In an emergency situation it may not be possible before you are treated to tell your caregivers about your health conditions or if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Make sure any doctor caring for you afterward knows that you have received Totect.

Before taking this medicine

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

heart problems;

• liver disease; or

• kidney disease.

Totect can harm an unborn baby or cause birth defects if the mother or the father is receiving this medicine. Women should use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while receiving Totect and for at least 6 months after the last dose. Men should use birth control during treatment and for at least 3 months after the last dose. Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs during this time.

This medicine may affect fertility (ability to have children) in men. However, it is important to use birth control to prevent pregnancy because dexrazoxane may harm the baby if a pregnancy does occur.

You should not breastfeed while you are using dexrazoxane. Women receiving Totect should continue to not breastfeed for at least 2 weeks after the last dose.

How is Totect given?

Totect is given as an infusion into a vein. A healthcare provider will give you this injection.

For extravasation, Totect is given via intravenous infusion over 1 to 2 hours once daily for 3 consecutive days and is usually started within 6 hours after extravasation.

For cardiomyopathy, Totect is given via intravenou...