About cytarabine
Antimetabolite chemotherapy medicine
Used for
- Treats acute leukaemias, including acute myeloid leukaemia.
- Used in some lymphoma and other blood-cancer treatment plans.
Usual adult dose
Highly variable; given intravenously or under the skin in cancer regimens. Specialist protocols determine the dose.
Usual dose in children
Highly variable; specialist oncology protocols determine the dose by diagnosis and body surface area.
Common side effects
- Low blood counts, increasing infection, bleeding, and anaemia risks.
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, mouth sores, or loss of appetite.
- Fever, rash, hair loss, or liver-test changes.
- High doses can cause brain, eye, or lung toxicity.
Important warnings
- Use only under specialist cancer-care supervision; dose and schedule vary widely.
- Blood counts and liver and kidney function require monitoring.
- High-dose treatment may require eye drops to reduce eye inflammation.
- Seek urgent assessment for fever, unusual bleeding, breathing problems, or confusion.
Pregnancy
Can harm an unborn baby. Pregnancy prevention and specialist advice are important during treatment.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment because of potential serious harm to the infant.
Interactions
- Other medicines that suppress bone marrow can increase blood-count problems.
- Live vaccines may cause infection during immune suppression.
- Fluorocytosine may be less effective when used with cytarabine.
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 It may be incomplete or out of date.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.