Friday 25 March 2016

Mitomycin for treatment of adenocarcinoma





 Mitomycin for treatment of adenocarcinoma
Mitomycin is an anti-cancer antibiotic available from Taj Accura Pharmaceuticals. It is derived from a soil fungus known as Streptomyces and has become an important component of various chemotherapy regimens[i]http://www.tajaccura.com/product/mitomycin-injection-usp-2mg-10mg-20mg-40-mg/


What is Mitomycin used for?
Mitomycin is used in the treatment of
  • Adenocarcinoma of the stomach
  • Adenocarcinoma of the pancreas
  • Non-small cell lung cancer
  • Breast cancer and
  • Colon cancer.



How does Mitomycin work?
Cancerous cells divide faster than normal cells and unlike normal cells, they do not die off when the body tells them to. Mitomycin counteracts this and force the cells to stop growing and die off. It does this by attaching a certain chemical group known as an alkyl group to the DNA. DNA is made up of four different nucleotides, one of which is known as guanine. Mitomycin places the alkyl group onto this guanine nucleotide and this causes the strands of DNA to become sticky and bind together[ii].
The consequence of this is that the cancerous cells that contain the DNA strands are damaged in such a way that they become incapable of dividing. As a result, the cells die off. This process is referred to as apoptosis.

Are there any side effects associated with the use of Mitomycin?
Yes, patients using Mitomycin may develop side effects because the drug is not perfectly selective for cancer cells and can damage healthy cells as well. However, it should be noted that these side effects are usually predictable so steps can be taken to minimise or prevent them. The effects are almost always reversible.
Patients are advised to contact their doctor, pharmacist or nurse if they have any questions regarding treatment with Mitomycin. Some of the more common side effects include:
  • Low blood counts (the decreased production of red and white blood cells in the bone marrow can put patients at risk of picking up a secondary infection. Furthermore, the lower levels of platelets can increase their risk of bleeding)
  • Nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite (these are more severe when using higher doses but there are many medicines now available to control these symptoms)
  • Mouth sores and
  • Fatigue.
How is Mitomycin given?
Mitomycin is typically given as an injection or an infusion into a vein. This will be done by the patient’s doctor or by another trained health professional, never by the patient themselves.
The patient’s doctor will also decide on what dosage to use and whether to administer the injections or the tablets. Different patients receive different treatments because of the variations in weight, height, age, kidney function and several other parameters.

Do patients undergo monitoring during treatment?
Yes, patients will receive regular check-ups at which time they will undergo tests for their blood count, kidney function, liver function and electrolyte levels. Their healthcare professional will also check to see if they have experienced any side effects.

Conclusion
Mitomycin Injections
to be used in the treatment of cancer are available from Taj Accura Pharmaceuticals at doses of 2 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg. Please visit www.tajaccura.com for further details.
Always remember to consult your Doctor or Healthcare Professional if you have any questions about your own health or medication


[i] Danshiitsoodol N, de Pinho CA, Matoba Y, Kumagai T, Sugiyama M (2006). "The mitomycin C (MMC)-binding protein from MMC-producing microorganisms protects from the lethal effect of bleomycin: crystallographic analysis to elucidate the binding mode of the antibiotic to the protein". J Molec Biol 360 (2): 398–408.

[ii] Tomasz, Maria (September 1995). Mitomycin C: small, fast and deadly (but very selective). Chemistry and Biology 2 (9): 575–579.

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