Dactinomycin (Intravenous)

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Mar 11, 2022.

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• Cosmegen

Available Dosage Forms:

• Powder for Solution

Therapeutic Class: Antibiotic

Uses for dactinomycin

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.

Before using dactinomycin

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 or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of dactinomycin injection in children. However, safety and efficacy have not been established in children to treat solid tumors that have come back to the same site after a previous treatment.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of dactinomycin injection in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have bone marrow problems, which may require caution and an adjustment in the dose for patients receiving dactinomycin injection.

Breastfeeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with 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. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.

Interactions with food/tobacco/alcohol

Certain medicines should not b...