Gemcitabine is used in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, urinary bladder cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer.
How Gemcitabine works Gemcitabine interferes with the growth of DNA and RNA in cancer cells by substituting their building blocks. This action prevents the cancer cells from growing and multiplying.
Common side effects of Gemcitabine include nausea, vomiting, breathlessness, anemia (low red blood cell count), blood in urine, headache, fever, diarrhea, abnormal liver function tests, myelosuppression, rash, muscle pain, and decreased appetite.