Gemcitabine Intravenous and Food

• Generic Name: gemcitabine
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Gemzar, Infugem

Gemcitabine injection is used together with other medicines (eg, carboplatin) to treat patients with advanced ovarian cancer that has come back at least 6 months after treatment with other cancer medicines (platinum-based).

Gemcitabine injection is also used together with other medicines (eg, paclitaxel) to treat metastatic (cancer that has spread) breast cancer in patients who have received other treatments that did not work well.

It is also used together with other medicines (eg, cisplatin) to treat non-small cell lung cancer that has advanced, spread, or cannot be treated with surgery.

Gemcitabine injection is also used to treat pancreas cancer that has advanced or spread to the other parts of the body in patients who have been previously treated with fluorouracil.

Gemcitabine 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 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 occur after treatment with gemcitabine has been stopped.

Gemcitabine is to be given only by or under the direct supervision of your doctor.