Vinorelbine Tartrate Medicine - Information, Side effects and uses of Vinorelbine

Vinorelbine is indicated, as a single agent or in combination with cisplatin, for first-line treatment of ambulatory patients with unresectable, advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Vinorelbine is indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer who did not respond to standard first-line chemotherapy for metastatic disease.

Vinorelbine is also indicated for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer who have relapsed within 6 months of anthracycline-based adjuvant therapy. Vinorelbine is indicated as reasonable medical therapy at some point in the treatment of cervical carcinoma. Vinorelbine is indicated as reasonable medical therapy at some point in the treatment of epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

Use of vinorelbine for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma has not been established.

Vinca alkaloids appear to exert their antitumor activity by binding to tubulin with high affinity. Vinca alkaloids are cell cycle-specific agents that arrest mitosis by interfering with microtubule assembly and inducing depolarization of microtubules. Researchers found that vinorelbine was as active as vincristine and vinblastine in inducing the assembly of tubulin in vitro but was uniquely inefficient in causing spiral formation.

Precaution and Warning while taking vinorelbine tartrate

• In vivo studies found that vinorelbine affected chromosome number and possibly structure (polyploidy in bone marrow cells from Chinese hamsters and a positive micronucleus test in mice).
• The leukopenic and thrombocytopenic effects of vinorelbine may result in an increased incidence of certain microbial infections of the mouth, delayed healing, and gingival bleeding. If leukopenia or thrombocytopenia occurs, dental work should be deferred until blood counts have returned to normal. Patients should be instructed in proper oral hygiene, including caution in use of regular toothbrushes, dental floss, and toothpicks.
• Pregnancy - Studies have not been done in humans.
• Women of childbearing potential should be informed about the potential hazard to the fetus if they become pregnant during vinorelbine therapy.
• Because of vinorelbine's potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants, it is recommended that nursing be discontinued in women receiving vinorelbine therapy.
• Appropriate studies on the relationship of age to the effects of vinorelbine have not been performed in the pediatric population. Safety and efficacy in children have not been established.
• Approximately one third of the patients enrolled in the North American clinical trials of vinorelbine were over the age of 65 years. Although this subset of patients did experience a slight increase in grades 3 and 4 leukopenia and granulocytopenia compared with patients under 65 years of age, the overall safety profile and antitumor efficacy were not significantly different for the older people.

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