About busulfan
Alkylating chemotherapy medicine
Used for
- Conditioning treatment before stem cell or bone marrow transplant, often with other medicines.
Usual adult dose
Dose is calculated by body weight or body surface area and adjusted for the treatment plan; specialist-supervised infusion.
Usual dose in children
Dose is calculated by body weight or body surface area and adjusted for the treatment plan; specialist-supervised infusion.
Common side effects
- Low blood cell counts and increased infection or bleeding risk
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or mouth sores
- Liver injury, including sinusoidal obstruction syndrome
- Seizures, lung injury, or infertility
Important warnings
- Given under specialist supervision; blood counts and liver function require monitoring.
- Can cause severe, prolonged bone marrow suppression and life-threatening infections or bleeding.
- Seizure prevention may be needed; liver toxicity risk can be increased by other medicines.
- Can cause infertility and harm an unborn baby; effective contraception is important.
Pregnancy
Can cause fetal harm. Avoid during pregnancy unless the specialist determines it is essential; contraception is required during treatment.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment because of potential serious harm to the infant.
Interactions
- Phenytoin may alter busulfan exposure; medication changes require specialist oversight.
- Itraconazole, metronidazole, and deferasirox may increase busulfan exposure.
- Acetaminophen near treatment may reduce busulfan clearance; follow the transplant team's instructions.
- Other marrow-suppressing or liver-toxic medicines may increase serious side effects.
AI-generated from general medical knowledge, not from this product's official leaflet. It may be incomplete or out of date. Not medical advice — ask a pharmacist or doctor before making any decision.