Teniposide

Teniposide is a prescription medication used to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in children. ALL is a type of cancer of the white blood cells. Teniposide belongs to a group of drugs known as podophyllotoxin derivatives. These work by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional.

Common side effects include low blood counts, inflammation and sores in the mouth, and diarrhea.

Teniposide is a prescription medication used with other chemotherapy drugs to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in children. It is used in when the you has not improved with other medications or when ALL has worsened. ALL a type of cancer of the white blood cells.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Teniposide may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Vumon

Common side effects of teniposide include the following:

• low blood cell counts
• sores and inflammation of the mouth
• diarrhea
• nausea
• vomiting
• infection
• hair loss
• bleeding
• rash
• fever

This is not a complete list of this medication’s side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• medications for nausea and vomiting
• methotrexate (Abitrexate, Folex, Rheumatrex, Trexall),
• tolbutamide (Orinase)

This is not a complete list of teniposide drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Serious side effects have been reported with teniposide including the following:

• Teniposide can cause a severe decrease in the number of blood cells in your bone marrow. This increases the risk that you will develop a serious infection or bleeding. If you experience any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately
  • fever
  • sore throat
  • chills
  • ongoing cough and congestion
  • other signs of infection
  • unusual bleeding or bruising
  • black and tarry stools
  • red blood in stools
  • bloody vomit
  • vomited material that looks like coffee grounds
• Teniposide may cause severe or life-threatening allergic reactions. If you experience an allergic reaction to teniposide injection, it may begin during or after your infusion ends, and you may experience the following symptoms:
  • hives
  • rash
  • itching
  • swelling of the eyes, face, throat, lips, tongue, hands, arms, feet, or ankles
  • difficulty breathing or swallowin
  • flushing
  • dizzines
  • faintness
  • fast heartbeat.
  • Your doctor or nurse will watch you carefully while you receive each dose of teniposide and for a period of time afterwards. Tell your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms. You will receive certain medications to help prevent an allergic reaction before you receive each dose of teniposide if you have experienced an allergic reaction to teniposide.

Do not take this medication if you are allergic to teniposide, to any of its ingredients, and/or to polyoxyl 35 castor oil.

Medications can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of teniposide, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet.

Before taking teniposide,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to teniposide, any other medications, polyoxyethylated castor oil (Cremophor EL), or any of the ingredients in teniposide injection
• tell your doctor if you have or have ever had kidney or liver disease or if you have Down syndrome (an inherited condition causing a range of developmental and physical problems)
• tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, if you are breastfeeding, or if you plan to father a child

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category D. Teniposide may harm the unborn baby. You should not become pregnant while you are receiving teniposide. Teniposide may also stop sperm production in men.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

It is not known if teniposide crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using teniposide.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be given directly into a vein (IV) by a healthcare professional.

This medication is available in an injectable form to be dosed by a healthcare professional.

• In one study, childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL )patients were treated with teniposide 165 mg/m² twice weekly for 8 to 9 doses.
• In another study, patients with childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) were treated with teniposide 250 mg/m² weekly for 4 to 8 weeks.
• Your dose may be adjusted due to response to the medication or if you have significant liver or kidney dysfunction.

If you take too much this medication, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If this medication is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store the unopened ampules of teniposide under refrigeration 2° to 8°C (36° to 46°F).
• Retain in original package to protect from light.
• Keep this and all other medications out of the reach of children.

Teniposide injection is a cytotoxic drug which should be administered under the supervision of a qualified physician experienced in the use of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Appropriate management of therapy and complications is possible only when adequate treatment facilities are readily available.

Severe myelosuppression with resulting infection or bleeding may occur. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis-like symptoms, may occur with initial dosing or at repeated exposure to teniposide injection. Epinephrine, with or without corticosteroids and antihistamines, has been employed to alleviate hypersensitivity reaction symptoms.