About melphalan
Alkylating chemotherapy medicine
Used for
- Treatment of multiple myeloma, often with other medicines
- Treatment of some ovarian cancers
- High-dose treatment before stem-cell transplantation
Usual adult dose
Dose varies greatly by cancer, treatment plan, kidney function, and body size; specialist dosing only.
Common side effects
- Low blood counts and increased infection risk
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea
- Mouth sores
- Hair loss
Important warnings
- Can cause severe bone-marrow suppression and serious infections
- Can cause infertility and harm an unborn baby
- Requires regular blood-count and organ-function monitoring
- Handle and administer using hazardous chemotherapy precautions
Pregnancy
Can harm an unborn baby. Avoid pregnancy during treatment; follow the specialist’s advice on contraception and timing.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment.
Interactions
- Other medicines that suppress bone marrow can increase blood-count problems
- Live vaccines may cause infection during immunosuppression
- Ciclosporin may increase kidney injury risk with high-dose treatment
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 It may be incomplete or out of date.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.