Azacitidine

Uses

Azacitidine is used in the treatment of blood cancer.

How it Works

How Azacitidine works Azacitidine is an anticancer medication that interferes with the growth of genetic material (DNA and RNA) in cancer cells associated with leukemia. This action kills the cancer cells and promotes the normal maturation and growth of young blood cells in the bone marrow.

Side Effects

Common side effects of Azacitidine include vomiting, nausea, fever, diarrhea, constipation, low blood platelets, headache, insomnia (difficulty sleeping), abdominal pain, pneumonia, nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the throat and nasal passages), anemia (low number of red blood cells), febrile neutropenia, high blood pressure, nosebleeds, gastrointestinal bleeding, decreased white blood cell count (lymphocytes), decreased blood cells (red cells, white cells, and platelets), decreased appetite, breathlessness, petechiae (red or purple spots caused by bleeding into the skin), itching, joint pain, musculoskeletal pain (bone, muscle, or joint), sepsis, intracranial bleeding, conjunctival hemorrhage, pericardial effusion, hypotension (low blood pressure), orthostatic hypotension (sudden lowering of blood pressure upon standing), hematoma, pleural effusion, hair loss, and renal failure.

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