by Dr. Manura Nanayakkara

Created on: October 12, 2010   Last Updated: October 13, 2010

Ixempra® is an anti-cancer drug specifically used for locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer. It is a semi synthetic analog of Epothilone B called Ixabepilone (generic name). Epithilone B is a new class of anti-cancer drugs with fewer side effects profile.

What are the common side effects?

Some patients may develop peripheral neuropathy. It is characterized by feeling of pins and needles in the extremities such as finger tips and toes. Some patients may develop severe loss of sensation with difficulty in grasping objects and difficulty in walking. If these symptoms are severe your doctor may decrease the dose.

In addition nausea, vomiting and tiredness are the commonest side effects. Some patients may develop muscle and joint pains. Temporary Hair loss is another side effect.

What are the less common side effects?

Less commonly patientws may complain diarrhea, mouth ulcers, poor appetite, abdominal pain and headache.

What are the dangerous side effects of this drug?

Patients can get low white blood cell counts. This can put these patients at increased risk of infection, anemia and bleeding. So white blood cell count monitoring is essential during the therapy.

Contact your doctor if you get high fever with chills and rigors or any sign of infection such as sore throat, cough, and difficulty in breathing, severe vomiting and severe diarrhea.

In addition call your doctor if you get uncontrolled bleeding, abnormal bruising, and blood in urine, bloody vomiting and black and tarry stools.

Call your doctor if you are unable to eat or drink for more than 12 hours or having signs of dehydration such as thirst, dry mouth and decreased urine output.

If you get shortness of breath, wheezing, wide spread hives, pallor, chest tightness and difficulty in breathing (anaphylactic reaction) then call your health care provider immediately.

What you should know before taking Ixempra?

It is important to note that most people will not get all the above side effects. So do not discontinue the medication without consulting your doctor. In addition most of the side effects will go away once the treatment is over.

Tell your complete medical history to your doctor including all the medications you are taking as well as all the herbal and recreational drugs you take. In addition, inform your doctor if you pregnant or breast feeding. Other than that do not take live vaccines without informing your doctor. In addition do not goto crowded places, drink plenty of water and have a nutritious diet.

How Ixempra® works?

Unlike normal cells, cancer cells continuously grow or multiply and it is not controlled by the normal regulating mechanisms of the body.

Ixempra acts by binding into a protein called tubulin and causes polymerization of the protein, which is needed in cell division. This ultimately results in destruction of the dividing cell. By killing dividing cells it usually destroys the more cancer cells than normal cells. Destruction of cancer cells cure the cancer but collateral destruction of normal cells causes side effects.

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