Etoposide 100mg/5ml solution for infusion vials

Etoposide is used to treat testicular cancer, small cell lung cancer or acute myeloid leukaemia.

Your medical team will discuss with you the options for treating your cancer. They will take into account factors such as the type of cancer, where it is, which stage it is at and whether you have had treatment before. The results of blood tests and other investigations will also be considered. How well you feel and how you are likely to cope with treatment is also important.

Your cancer treatment will usually consist of a treatment session with Etoposide followed by a break of a number of days before the next treatment session with Etoposide. This cycle may be repeated many times as part of your cancer treatment.

Etoposide works by damaging cancer cells in the body. Etoposide also affects healthy cells and treatment with Etoposide may damage your immune system. Your medical team may arrange for you to have some blood tests to check how well your immune system is working.

Other information about Etoposide:

Etoposide is usually given to you by a healthcare professional. The person responsible for giving you your medicine will make sure that you get the right dose.

If you feel that the medicine is making you unwell or you do not think it is working, then talk to your prescriber or someone involved in your medical care.

The person with responsibility for giving you your medicine will make sure that you have your medicine at the prescribed times.

This medicine will be given to you as an injection. If you have any concerns about this medicine or how this will be given to you, talk to someone who is involved in your medical care.

Having extra doses of some medicines can be harmful. In some cases even one extra dose can cause you problems.

In the case of Etoposide, the person who is responsible for giving you your medicine will make sure that you are given the correct dose.

The person in charge of your care will make the decision about when you should stop this medicine. If you experience any problems while having this medicine, talk to someone who is involved in your medical care.

As Etoposide will be given to you as an injection, it will usually be stored by the medical team.

Etoposide is not suitable for everyone and some people should never use it. Other people should only use it with special care. It is important that the person prescribing this medicine knows your full medical history.

Your prescriber may only prescribe this medicine with special care or may not prescribe it at all if you:

Furthermore the prescriber may only prescribe this medicine with special care or may not prescribe it at all for a premature baby or a neonate.

As part of the process of assessing suitability to take this medicine a prescriber may also arrange tests:

Over time it is possible that Etoposide can become unsuitable for some people, or they may become unsuitable for it. If at any time it appears that Etoposide has become unsuitable, it is important that the prescriber is contacted immediately.

A medicine is only made available to the public if the clinical trials have shown that the benefits of taking the medicine outweigh the risks.

Once a medicine has been licensed, information on the medicine's effects, both intended and unintended, is continuously recorded and updated.

Some side-effects may be serious while others may only be a mild inconvenience.

Everyone's reaction to a medicine is different. It is difficult to predict which side-effects you will have from taking a particular medicine, or whether you will have any side-effects at all. The important thing is to tell your prescriber or pharmacist if you are having problems with your medicine.

Very common: More than 1 in 10 people who have Etoposide:

• blood and bone marrow problems - some of these blood and bone marrow problems may lead to an infection or may be fatal
• central nervous system problems such as tiredness or drowsiness
• hair loss which could lead to baldness
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting

Common: More than 1 in 100 people who have Etoposide:

• abnormal laboratory test results
• anaphylactic reactions such as fever, flushing, faster heart rate, blood pressure changes, bronchospasm or breathing problems
• bleeding
• diarrhoea
• inflammation of the mouth
• liver problems
• other types of leukaemia
• stomach pain

Uncommon: More than 1 in 1000 people who have Etoposide:

• cough
• cyanosis
• heart attack
• heart problems
• inflammation or irritation of the mucous membrane
• itching
• laryngeal spasm
• neuropathy of the extremities
• oesophagitis
• skin colour changes
• skin rash or rashes
• urticaria

Rare: More than 1 in 10,000 people who have Etoposide:

• constipation
• eye or eyesight problems including blindness
• lung problems
• metabolic problems
• paraesthesiae
• phlebitis
• swallowing difficulties
• taste changes
• weakness

Very rare: Fewer than 1 in 10,000 people who have Etoposide:

• certain types of dermatitis
• hand-foot syndrome
• toxic epidermal necrolysis

The frequency of these side-effects is unknown:

• convulsions
• male infertility
• oedema of the face or the tongue
• redness of the skin
• sweating

If you feel unwell or if you have concerns about a side-effect, you will need to seek advice. If you feel very ill, get medical help straight away. Contact your prescriber, pharmacist, nurse or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

If you are taking more than one medicine they may interact with each other. At times your prescriber may decide to use medicines that interact, in other cases this may not be appropriate.

The decision to use medicines that interact depends on your specific circumstances. Your prescriber may decide to use medicines that interact, if it is believed that the benefits of taking the medicines together outweigh the risks. In such cases, it may be necessary to alter your dose or monitor you more closely.

Tell your prescriber the names of all the medicines that you are taking so that they can consider all possible interactions. This includes all the medicines which have been prescribed by your GP, hospital doctor, dentist, nurse, health visitor, midwife or pharmacist. You must also tell your prescriber about medicines which you have bought over the counter without prescriptions.

The following medicines may interact with Etoposide:

The following types of medicine may interact with Etoposide:

If you are taking Etoposide and one of the above medicines or types of medicines, make sure your prescriber knows about it.

Medicines can interact with complementary preparations and vitamins. In general, there is not much information available about interactions between medicines and complementary preparations or vitamins.

If you are planning to take or are already taking any complementary preparations and vitamins you should ask your prescriber whether there are any known interactions with Etoposide.

Your prescriber can advise whether it is appropriate for you to take combinations that are known to interact. They can also discuss with you the possible effect that the complementary preparations and vitamins may have on your condition.

If you experience any unusual effects while taking this medicine in combination with complementary preparations and vitamins, you should tell your prescriber.

When taking any medicine you should be aware that it might interfere with your ability to drive or operate machinery safely.

In the case of Etoposide:

You should see how this medicine affects you before you judge whether you are safe to drive or operate machinery. If you are in any doubt about whether you should drive or operate machinery, talk to your prescriber.

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your prescriber may advise you to avoid certain foods.

In the case of Etoposide:

Alcohol can interact with certain medicines.

In the case of Etoposide:

This medicine contains alcohol. You should seek advice from your prescriber as to whether you may drink alcohol while taking this medicine.

Most medicines, in some way, can affect the development of a baby in the womb. The effect on the baby differs between medicines and also depends on the stage of pregnancy that you have reached when you take the medicine.

In the case of Etoposide:

You should discuss your personal circumstances with your doctor if you are pregnant or want to become pregnant. This is so that together you can make a decision about what treatment you may need during your pregnancy.

You should discuss whether there are any other medicines which you could take during pregnancy which would treat your condition.

Certain medicines can pass into breast milk and may reach your baby through breast-feeding.

In the case of Etoposide:

Before you have your baby you should discuss breast-feeding with your doctor or midwife. They will help you decide what is best for you and your baby based on the benefits and risks associated with this medicine. If you wish to breast-feed you should discuss with your prescriber whether there are any other medicines you could take which would also allow you to breast-feed. You should not stop this medicine without taking advice from your doctor.

Medicines contain active ingredients. They may also contain other, additional ingredients that help ensure the stability, safety and effectiveness of the medicine. They may also be used to prolong the life of the medicine.

This medicine contains etoposide.

We are unable to list all of the ingredients for your medicine here. For a full list, you should refer to the patient information leaflet that comes with this medicine or ask your prescriber. You should check that you are able to take the ingredients of your medicine, especially if you have any allergies.

If you are not able to take any of the ingredients in your medicine, talk to your prescriber or pharmacist to see if they can suggest an alternative medicine. If you have reacted badly to Etoposide before, do not take Etoposide. Talk to your prescriber, pharmacist or nurse as soon as possible.