Bleomycin Sulfate and Hepatic impairment

• Generic Name: bleomycin
• Dosage Forms: n.a.
• Other Brand Names: Bleo 15k, Blenoxane

Treatment of Hodgkin’s disease.

Combination therapy for induction of remissions is superior to single-drug therapy.

Various combination regimens are used.

Commonly used in combination with doxorubicin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD regimen).

Has been used for treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Second- or third-generation combination regimens containing bleomycin no more effective than the standard CHOP regimen (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) for the treatment of advanced intermediate-grade or high-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Treatment of testicular embryonal cell carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, and teratocarcinoma.

Combination chemotherapy with bleomycin, cisplatin, and etoposide is a regimen of choice for the treatment of advanced nonseminomatous testicular carcinoma.

Combination chemotherapy with bleomycin, cisplatin, and etoposide is used for the treatment of disseminated seminoma testis.

Intracavitary injection as a sclerosing agent for intrapleural management and prevention of recurrent pleural effusions (pleurodesis) caused by metastatic tumors.

At least as effective and possibly better tolerated than intrapleural tetracycline.

Intrapleural talc may be preferred because of cost considerations.

Has been used for intrapleural management of pneumothorax associated with AIDS Pneumocystis jiroveci (Pneumocystis carinii) pneumonia.

Palliative treatment of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (including mouth, tongue, tonsils, nasopharynx, oropharynx, sinuses, palate, lip, buccal mucosa, gingiva, epiglottis, larynx, skin).

Poorer response to bleomycin in patients who have received prior radiation therapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer.

Combination chemotherapy with cisplatin, methotrexate, and vincristine for advanced head and neck cancer.

Has been used for palliative treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.

Not considered a drug of choice for the treatment of advanced cervical cancer.

Palliative treatment of squamous cell carcinomas of the penis and vulva (in combination with other antineoplastic agents).

Has been used for the palliative treatment of AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma (alone or in combination with doxorubicin, and a vinca alkaloid).

Has been used as monotherapy for palliative treatment of early-stage disease.

Bleomycin combination chemotherapy has been considered a regimen of choice for advanced disease, but a liposomal anthracycline currently considered first-line therapy.

Has been used for the treatment of ovarian germ cell tumors (in combination with cisplatin and etoposide).

Has been used for the treatment of intracranial germ cell tumors (in combination with cisplatin and vinblastine).