Bleomycin Injection

• Type: Anticancer (chemotherapy) medication

• Drug Class: Antitumor antibiotic

• Form: Injectable solution, usually given intravenously, intramuscularly, or subcutaneously

How It Works

• Bleomycin binds to DNA in cancer cells and causes breaks in the DNA strands.

• This stops the cancer cells from dividing and leads to cell death.

• It is most effective during the G2 and M phases of the cell cycle (when cells are preparing to divide).

Common Uses

• Hodgkin’s lymphoma (part of ABVD chemotherapy regimen)

• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

• Testicular cancer

• Squamous cell cancers (head, neck, cervix, skin)

• Pleurodesis (treatment of recurrent pleural effusion — injected into the chest cavity to prevent fluid buildup)

Advantages

• Very effective for certain cancers (especially testicular cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma)

• Can be combined with other chemotherapy drugs for better outcomes

• Has relatively low effect on bone marrow compared to many other chemotherapies

Possible Side Effects

• Lung toxicity (most serious):

  • Pulmonary fibrosis or inflammation (cough, shortness of breath)

  • Risk increases with higher cumulative doses

• Skin changes (darkening, thickening, rash)

• Fever and chills after injection

• Mouth sores

• Nausea and vomiting

• Hair loss (usually mild)

Precautions

• Lung function tests are usually done before and during treatment

• Total lifetime dose is limited to reduce risk of lung damage

• Use caution in people with existing lung disease

• Avoid high concentrations of supplemental oxygen during surgery (can worsen lung toxicity)

• Requires administration by trained medical professionals