Leukeran belongs to a group of drugs known as alkylating agents. Its mechanism of action is based upon binding to the RNA and/or DNA structure of certain cancer cells, thus decreasing the rate of their growth and reproduction. This medication is prescribed for the treatment of various kinds of cancer. However, each patient needs to be warned in advance that sometimes Leukeran has been shown to cause the cancer to spread or other cancers to develop in the body. Other serious side effects include suppressed bone marrow function and severe, often incurable infertility.
A great number of medical conditions may interact with Leukeran, so warn your doctor in advance, especially if you are pregnant, breast-feeding, or about to conceive; if you have recently completed or are sill in the process of radiation therapy; if you have bone marrow depression, decreased white blood counts or decreased blood platelets, porphyria; if you have lately gone through an infection such as shingles or chickenpox; if you or any member of your family has a hystory of kidney disease or seizures.
Most commonly Leukeran is taken once per day. It works best if you complete the ingestion at the same time each day, but if you forget to take your pill in due time, take it as soon as you remember. If you do not have such an opportunity until the next day, skip the dose entirely since taking 2 doses at once easily results in an overdose. You can take Leukeran either with or without food, but if this medication causes you an upset stomach, joining the ingestion with a meal is recommended. Throughout the treatment regimen it is best to dink a lot of fluids.
