doxorubicin
an anthracycline anti-biotic isolated from Streptomyces peucetius caesius and used mainly in the treatment of leukaemia and various other forms of cancer. Doxorubicin acts by interfering with the production of DNA and RNA (see also cytotoxic drug ). It is administered by injection or infusion and can be given as a lipid formulation ( Caelyx; see liposome ); side-effects include bone marrow depression, baldness, gastrointestinal disturbances, and heart damage.
Doxorubicin is used in combination with other medications to treat certain types of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, and ovarian cancer; Hodgkin's lymphoma (Hodgkin's disease) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system); and certain types of leukemia (cancer of the white blood cells), including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML, ANLL). Doxorubicin is also used alone and in combination with other medications to treat certain types of thyroid cancer and certain types of soft tissue or bone sarcomas (cancer that forms in muscles and bones). It is also used to treat neuroblastoma (a cancer that begins in nerve cells and occurs mainly in children) and Wilms' tumor (a type of kidney cancer that occurs in children). Doxorubicin is in a class of medications called anthracyclines. It works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells in your body.
Full drug information on MedlinePlus →doxorubicin