What is the drug hydroxyurea used for?

What is the drug hydroxyurea used for?

Hydroxyurea (Hydrea) is used alone or with other medications or radiation therapy to treat a certain type of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML; a type of cancer of the white blood cells) and certain types of head and neck cancer (including cancer of the mouth, cheek, tongue, throat, tonsils, and sinuses).

What is the action of hydroxyurea?

Mechanism of Action Hydroxyurea is a potent RR inhibitor that reduces intracellular deoxynucleotide triphosphate pools and acts as an S-phase-specific agent with inhibition of DNA synthesis and eventual cellular cytotoxicity.

What does hydroxyurea mean?

Hydroxyurea: A drug that inhibits the synthesis of DNA and so is classified as an antimetabolite. Hydroxyurea is used to treat a number of diseases, including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), polycythemia vera, carcinoma of the head and neck, ovary, and cervix, melanoma, and sickle cell disease.

Is hydroxyurea a chemo drug?

Hydroxyurea. Hydroxyurea (hydroxycarbamate, Hydrea) is a chemo drug that has helped some patients with CMML live longer. This drug comes as a capsule that’s taken by mouth daily. It can bring the numbers of white blood cells and monocytes down to normal.

What are the benefits of hydroxyurea?

Hydroxyurea makes your red blood cells bigger. It helps them stay rounder and more flexible — and makes them less likely to turn into a sickle shape. The medicine does this by increasing a special kind of hemoglobin called hemoglobin F. Hemoglobin F is also called fetal hemoglobin because newborn babies have it.

Is hydroxyurea an immunosuppressant?

To demonstrate that, despite a dose-dependent cytostatic effect, hydroxyurea (HU) does not have immunosuppressive effects.

What is the most common side effect of hydroxyurea?

The more common side effects of hydroxyurea can include: stomach pain. constipation. diarrhea.

Is hydroxyurea taken for life?

Hydroxyurea oral capsule is used for long-term treatment. It comes with risks if you don’t take it as prescribed. If you stop taking the drug suddenly or don’t take it at all: Your cancer cells may divide more rapidly or your sickle cells may change back to their sickle shape.

Can you live a normal life with ET?

Patients with ET have an excellent chance of living a normal life span if they are properly monitored and treated as necessary. A small number of patients may develop acute leukemia or a bone marrow disorder called myelofibrosis.

Can you take hydroxyurea for life?

The long-term side effects of hydroxyurea are not fully known. Some people wonder if hydroxyurea could cause cancer if taken for a long time, but this has not been seen in people with sickle cell disease who have been treated for as long as 20 years.

How long can you be on hydroxyurea?

But, you should try the hydroxyurea for at least six months before stopping It.

What should I eat if my platelets are high?

Foods to eat to increase platelet count include: folate-rich foods. foods rich in vitamins B-12, C, D, and K. iron-rich foods….Folate-rich foods

• dark, leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and Brussels sprouts.
• beef liver.
• black-eyed peas.
• fortified breakfast cereals and dairy alternatives.
• rice.
• yeast.

What are the long-term effects of hydroxyurea?

Adverse reactions observed with combined Hydroxyurea and irradiation therapy are similar to those reported with the use of Hydroxyurea or radiation treatment alone. These effects primarily include bone marrow depression (anemia and leukopenia), gastric irritation, and mucositis .

What does hydroxyurea treat?

Hydroxyurea is a medicine that is used to treat certain types of cancer as well as to reduce the frequency of pain crises and the need for blood transfusions in patients with sickle cell anemia.

Does hydroxyurea cause cancer?

Both men and women using hydroxyurea should use birth control to prevent pregnancy. The use of hydroxyurea by either parent may cause birth defects. Using hydroxyurea may increase your risk of developing other types of cancer, such as leukemia or skin cancer.

What is hydroxyurea 500 mg used for?

Uses of Hydroxyurea Capsules 500 mg: It is used to treat a type of leukemia. It is used to treat cancer of the head and neck. It may be given to you for other reasons.