Treanda

Generic Name: bendamustine (Intravenous route)

ben-da-MUS-teen

Commonly used brand name(s)

In the U.S.

• Treanda

Available Dosage Forms:

• Powder for Solution

Pharmacologic Class: Alkylating Agent

Chemical Class: Nitrogen Mustard

Uses For Treanda

Bendamustine belongs to the group of medicines called alkylating agents. It is used to treat a type of cancer of the white blood cells called chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Bendamustine is also used to treat indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in patients who have already been treated with rituximab.

Bendamustine interferes with the growth of cancer cells, which are eventually destroyed. Since the growth of normal cells may also be affected by the medicine, other effects may also occur. Some of these may be serious and must be reported to your doctor. Other effects may not be serious but may cause concern. Some effects may occur after treatment with bendamustine has been stopped.

Before you begin treatment with bendamustine, you and your doctor should talk about the benefits this medicine will have as well as the risks of using it.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

Once a medicine has been approved for marketing for a certain use, experience may show that it is also useful for other medical problems. Although these uses are not included in product labeling, bendamustine is used in certain patients with the following medical conditions:

• Breast cancer, metastatic (breast cancer that has already spread).


• Multiple myeloma (a type of cancer in the bone marrow).

Before Using Treanda

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 this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine 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 have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of bendamustine in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of bendamustine in the elderly.

Pregnancy

	Pregnancy Category	Explanation
All Trimesters	D	Studies in pregnant women have demonstrated a risk to the fetus. However, the benefits of therapy in a life threatening situation or a serious disease, may outweigh the potential risk.

Breast Feeding

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. When you are receiving this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Ciprofloxacin


• Fluvoxamine


• Omeprazole

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following is usually not recommended, but may be unavoidable in some cases. If used together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use this medicine, or give you special instructions about the use of food, alcohol, or tobacco.

• Tobacco

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Infection—May decrease your body’s ability to fight an infection.

• Kidney disease or


• Liver disease—Use with caution. The effects may be increased because of slower removal of the medicine from the body.

Proper Use of Treanda

You will receive this medicine while you are in a hospital or cancer treatment center. A nurse or other trained health professional will give you this medicine. This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins.

Precautions While Using Treanda

It is very important that your doctor check your progress at regular visits to make sure that this medicine is working properly. Blood tests may be needed to check for unwanted effects.

Bendamustine can temporarily lower the number of white blood cells in your blood, increasing the chance of getting an infection (e.g., pneumonia). It can also lower the number of platelets, which are necessary for proper blood clotting. If this occurs, there are certain precautions you can take, especially when your blood count is low, to reduce the risk of an infection or bleeding:

• If you can, avoid people with infections. Check with your doctor right away if you think you are getting an infection or if you have fever or chills; cough or hoarseness; lower back or side pain; painful or difficult urination; shortness of breath; or unusual bleeding or bruising.


• Check with your doctor immediately if you notice any unusual bleeding or bruising; black, tarry stools; blood in the urine or stools; or pinpoint red spots on your skin.


• Be careful when using a regular toothbrush, dental floss, or toothpick. Your medical doctor, dentist, or nurse may recommend other ways to clean your teeth and gums. Check with your medical doctor before having any dental work done.


• Do not touch your eyes or the inside of your nose unless you have just washed your hands and have not touched anything else in the meantime.


• Be careful not to cut yourself when you are using sharp objects such as a safety razor or fingernail or toenail cutters.

This medicine may cause a serious type of allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. Call your doctor right away if you have chills; fever; hives; hoarseness; itching; rash; trouble breathing; trouble swallowing; or any swelling of your hands, face, or mouth after you receive the medicine.

This medicine may cause a serious type of reaction called tumor lysis syndrome. Your doctor may give you a medicine to help prevent this. Call your doctor right away if you have a decrease or change in urine amount; joint pain, stiffness, or swelling; lower back, side, or stomach pain; a rapid weight gain; swelling of the feet or lower legs; or unusual tiredness or weakness.

Using this medicine while you are pregnant can harm your unborn baby. Use an effective form of birth control to keep from getting pregnant. If you think you have become pregnant while using the medicine, tell your doctor right away.

Serious skin reactions may occur during treatment with bendamustine. Tell your doctor right away if you have rashes or blisters while receiving this medicine.

Bendamustine may cause some people to feel unusually tired or weak. Do not drive, use machines, or do anything else that could be dangerous while you are using this medicine.

Cancer medicines can cause diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting in most people, sometimes even after receiving medicines to prevent it. Ask your doctor or nurse about other ways to control these side effects.

Treanda Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

More common

• Black, tarry stools


• bleeding gums


• blood in the urine or stools


• chest pain


• chills


• cough or hoarseness


• diarrhea


• fever


• headache


• joint pain, stiffness, or swelling


• lack or loss of strength


• lower back, side, or stomach pain


• muscle aches


• nausea


• painful or difficult urination


• pale skin


• pinpoint red spots on the skin


• shortness of breath


• sore throat


• stuffy or runny nose


• swelling of the feet or lower legs


• swollen glands


• troubled breathing with exertion


• ulcers, sores, or white spots in the mouth


• unusual bleeding or bruising


• unusual tiredness or weakness


• vomiting

Less common

• Burning or stinging of the skin


• fast heartbeat


• hives


• itching


• irritation


• painful cold sores or blisters on the lips, nose, eyes, or genitals


• rash


• redness of the skin


• stiffness or swelling


• swelling of the eyelids, face, lips, hands, or feet


• tightness in the chest


• troubled breathing or swallowing


• wheezing

Incidence not known

• Blistering, flaking, or peeling of the skin


• difficulty with swallowing


• dizziness


• facial swelling


• puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue


• weakness

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

More common

• Decreased weight

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

See also: Treanda side effects (in more detail)

The information contained in the Thomson Reuters Micromedex products as delivered by Drugs.com is intended as an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatment. It is not a substitute for a medical exam, nor does it replace the need for services provided by medical professionals. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before taking any prescription or over the counter drugs (including any herbal medicines or supplements) or following any treatment or regimen. Only your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for you.

The use of the Thomson Reuters Healthcare products is at your sole risk. These products are provided "AS IS" and "as available" for use, without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. Thomson Reuters Healthcare and Drugs.com make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, usefulness or completeness of any of the information contained in the products. Additionally, THOMSON REUTERS HEALTHCARE MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE OPINIONS OR OTHER SERVICE OR DATA YOU MAY ACCESS, DOWNLOAD OR USE AS A RESULT OF USE OF THE THOMSON REUTERS HEALTHCARE PRODUCTS. ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE ARE HEREBY EXCLUDED. Thomson Reuters Healthcare does not assume any responsibility or risk for your use of the Thomson Reuters Healthcare products.

More Treanda resources

• Treanda Side Effects (in more detail)
• Treanda Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
• Treanda Drug Interactions
• Treanda Support Group
• 1 Review for Treanda - Add your own review/rating

• Treanda Prescribing Information (FDA)


• Treanda MedFacts Consumer Leaflet (Wolters Kluwer)


• Treanda Consumer Overview

Compare Treanda with other medications

• Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
• Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma