Benzigem 200 Injection

Benzigem 200 Injection is used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, urinary bladder cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Benzigem 200 Injection is given as an injection by a qualified medical professional. Your doctor will decide what dose is necessary and how often you need to take it. This will depend on what you are being treated for and may change from time to time. You should take it exactly as your doctor has advised. Taking it in the wrong way or taking too much can cause very serious side effects. It may take several weeks or months for you to see or feel the benefits but do not stop taking it unless your doctor tells you to.

The most common side effects of this medicine include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, hair loss and low blood platelets. This medicine may reduce the number of blood cells (decrease red blood and white blood cells) in your blood, thereby, increasing the susceptibility to infections. Regular blood tests are required to check your blood cells along with heart, liver, and blood uric acid levels.

Before taking it, tell your doctor if you have heart disease, liver, or kidney problems or are taking any medicines to treat infections. Many other medicines can affect, or be affected by, this medicine so let your doctor know all medications you are using. This medicine is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. The use of effective contraception by both males and females during treatment is important to avoid pregnancy.

Non-small cell lung cancer

Breast cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Urinary bladder cancer

Ovarian cancer

Your doctor or nurse will give you this medicine. Kindly do not self administer.

Benzigem 200 Injection interferes with the growth of DNA and RNA of the cancer cells by substituting their building blocks. It prevents the cancer cells from growing and multiplying.

Q: What if you forget to take this medicine?
A:

Use a reliable contraceptive method to prevent pregnancy while you are taking this medicine.

Inform your doctor immediately if you notice any signs of infection such as fever, sore throat, rash or severe diarrhea.

In Non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer is one of the major kinds of lung cancer and it affects both smokers as well as non-smokers. Benzigem 200 Injection helps treat non-small cell lung cancer and may be given alone or in combination with other medicines. It is a potent and very toxic medicine and you should discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor. You should avoid drinking alcohol while having this treatment and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Nausea

Vomiting

Loss of appetite

Hair loss

Low blood platelets

Allergic reaction

Breathlessness

Decreased white blood cell count

Increased liver enzymes

Anemia (low number of red blood cells)

Flu-like symptoms

Blood in urine

Skin rash

Protein in urine

Alcohol:UNSAFE

Benzigem 200 Injection may cause excessive drowsiness with alcohol.

Pregnancy:CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR

Benzigem 200 Injection is unsafe to use during pregnancy as there is definite evidence of risk to the developing baby. However, the doctor may rarely prescribe it in some life-threatening situations if the benefits are more than the potential risks. Please consult your doctor.

Breast feeding:UNSAFE

Benzigem 200 Injection is unsafe to use during breastfeeding. Data suggests that the drug may cause toxicity to the baby.

Driving:UNSAFE

Benzigem 200 Injection may decrease alertness, affect your vision or make you feel sleepy and dizzy. Do not drive if these symptoms occur.

Kidney:CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR

There is limited information available on the use of Benzigem 200 Injection in patients with kidney disease. Please consult your doctor.Kidney function tests are advised before taking this medicine and regular monitoring is also recommended after the treatment.

Liver:CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR

There is limited information available on the use of Benzigem 200 Injection in patients with liver disease. Please consult your doctor.

Chabner BA, Bertino J, Cleary J, et al. Cytotoxic Agents. In: Brunton LL, Chabner BA, Knollmann BC, editors. Goodman & Gilman’s: The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. 12th ed. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2011. pp. 1700-701.
Chu E, Sartorelli AC. Cancer Chemotherapy. In: Katzung BG, Masters SB, Trevor AJ, editors. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. 11th ed. New Delhi, India: Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited; 2009. pp. 947-48.
Briggs GG, Freeman RK, editors. A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk: Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health; 2015. pp. 617-18.
Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). [Accessed 27 Mar. 2019] (online) Available from: View