Dacogen (Decitabine) for Leukemia

Overview
Dacogen is a prescription drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Dacogen is also referred to by its drug name, decitabine.

Dacogen is used as part of a chemotherapy regimen. Dacogen is a member of a class of drugs called nucleoside metabolic inhibitors. Dacogen is believed to work by killing abnormal blood cells that do not work properly and by helping the bone marrow grow normal blood cells so fewer transfusions are required.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Dacogen is administered by continuous intravenous infusion over a series of hours for set cycles that repeat every four to six weeks.

Dacogen comes in powdered form to be dissolved by a healthcare provider.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for Dacogen lists common side effects including neutropenia (low levels of neutrophils in the blood), thrombocytopenia (low platelets in the blood), anemia (low red blood cells), fever, diarrhea, constipation, and high blood sugar.

Rare but serious side effects listed for Dacogen include allergic reaction, severely low blood counts, enlarged spleen, heart problems, gastrointestinal disorders, infections, kidney failure, serious breathing problems, and fetal harm in pregnant women.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Dacogen — Chemocare
http://chemocare.com/chemotherapy/drug-info/dac...