About vinblastine sulfate
Vinca alkaloid chemotherapy medicine
Used for
- Hodgkin lymphoma and other lymphomas
- Testicular cancer
- Kaposi sarcoma
- Other cancers, including some breast cancers
Usual adult dose
Given intravenously, usually starting at 3.7 mg/m² once weekly; doses are adjusted by blood counts and treatment protocol.
Usual dose in children
Specialist dosing by body surface area, commonly starting around 3.75 mg/m² intravenously weekly; adjusted by blood counts and protocol.
Common side effects
- Low blood cell counts, increasing infection or bleeding risk
- Constipation, abdominal pain, or nausea
- Hair loss
- Injection-site injury if medicine leaks from the vein
Important warnings
- For intravenous use only; injection into the spinal fluid can be fatal.
- Requires specialist supervision and regular blood-count monitoring.
- Avoid with severe liver disease; dosage may need reduction with impaired liver function.
- Can cause serious tissue damage if it leaks outside the vein.
Pregnancy
May harm an unborn baby. Pregnancy prevention is important during treatment; discuss timing with the cancer specialist.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment because of potential serious harm to the infant.
Interactions
- Mitomycin may increase lung toxicity.
- Phenytoin levels or effectiveness may be reduced.
- Strong CYP3A inhibitors, such as itraconazole, may increase toxicity.
- Live vaccines may cause serious infection during chemotherapy.
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 It may be incomplete or out of date.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.