Wiktionary
n. A particular drug used in chemotherapy.
Wikipedia
Bleomycin is a medication used to treat cancer. This includes Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, testicular cancer, ovarian cancer, and cervical cancer among others. Typically used with other cancer medications, it can be given intravenously, by injection into a muscle or under the skin. It may also be administered inside the chest to help prevent the recurrence of a fluid around the lung due to cancer; however talc is better for this.
Common side effects include fever, weight loss, vomiting, and rash. A severe type of anaphylaxis may occur. It may also cause inflammation of the lungs that can result in lung scarring. Chest X-rays every couple of weeks are recommended to check for this. Bleomycin may cause harm to the baby if used during pregnancy. It is believed to primarily work by preventing the making of DNA.
Bleomycin was discovered in 1962. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic health system. It is available as a generic medication. The wholesale cost in the developing world is between 14 USD and 78 USD a dose. It is made by the bacterium Streptomyces verticillus.
Usage examples of "bleomycin".
Youman explained that the standard treatment protocol for tes-ticular cancer was called BEP, a cocktail of three different drugs, bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin, and they were so toxic that the nurses wore radioactive protection when handling them.
A cyclist needs his lung capacity the way he needs his legs, and prolonged exposure to bleomycin would almost certainly end my career.
He would continue treating me with bleomycin, he said, but his regimen would be much more caustic than what Youman had prescribed.
Because the bleomycin would tear up my lungs, I would never be able to race a bike again.
Youman explained that the standard treatment protocol for tes-ticular cancer was called BEP, a cocktail of three different drugs, bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin, and they were so toxic that the nurses wore radioactive protection when handling them.