Campto

Also known as Camptosar, Campto is prescribed for treating bowel cancer that have spread to other parts of the body. Cancer that has spread to different body parts cannot be cured by surgery only and campto is the best anticancer medicine (known as chemotherapy) which consists of irinotecan hydrochloride as an active ingredient.

Medications and Prescriptions

Generic name: irinotecan
Campto description
What Camptosar is used for?

Camptosar is used for curing bowel cancer that has spread to other body parts. That cancer that cannot be cured by surgery alone is treated with a better options or treatment with this anticancer medicine called chemotherapy. Having active ingredient as irinotecan hydrochloride, Camptosar is used when the cancer beyond the bowel is diagnosed initially. Camptosar is used in combination with other anticancer drugs. On the other hand, it can be used alone if the cancer is not respondeding or comes back after first treatment. Camptosar may also be prescribed for other purposes.You can talk to your doctor for any questions regarding the reasons why camptosar is prescribed to you.

When Camptosar must not be given?

Camptosar should not be taken if you are allergic to irinotecan hydrochloride, or other similar ingredients. It should not be used by pregnant women or if you are planning to become pregnant. Breastfeeding mothers should also avoid this drug.
Prior to treatment with Camptosar, find if the doctor is experienced enough to treat patients with cancer. Normally, treatments will occur in a hospital due to the want for hospital facilities and expert personnel. You can experience nauseous or have symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramping and probably infections during or after treatment with this drug.Sometimes, your doctor may prescribe one or more medicines prior to directing camptosar that may prevent vomiting or sick feeling after the treatment. You will also have probably a blood test earlier to every treatment.
You have to inform your doctor if you are 65 years of age or older. Inform your doctor if you suffer from liver disease; kidney disease or heart disease or been treated with radiation therapy previously. You should also talk to him if you have diabetes, asthma, constipation or difficulty urinating or hereditary fructose intolerance. Tell if you are using any other medicines such as those that are bought without a prescription from a pharmacy, health food shop or supermarket. You should also talk to your doctor if you are taking laxatives for constipation, diuretics for heart disease, dexamethasone for treating skin diseases, asthma and other allergic diseases, anti-convulsants for treating seizures, oral antifungal medicine like ketoconazole, herbal medicines like St Johns Wort for treating depression or any drug for nausea or diarrhea.

Children
The safety or effectiveness of camptosar in the treatment of children is not known.
Treatment with CAMPTOSAR

Diluted dose of this drug is given by your doctor by slow infusion into a vein over a period of 90 minutes. It should be given as seperate treatment courses according to its dosage alone or in combination with other anticancer medicines.When prescribed in combination, 6 weeks duration of treatment courses are provided either weekly or fortnightly. 1 or 2 weeks of rest periods are included into the 6 week courses. When prescribed alone; it is given as 4 weeks treatment courses followed by a 2 week rest period and once every 3 weeks.

Depending on your response, treatment courses may be repeated more than once. You should stop taking Camptosar if you experience severe diarrhoea or other unbearable side effects.

Dose:

The dose recommended for camptosar can vary between 125 mg/m2 and 350 mg/m2 according to the body surface area and the dosing schedule. Talk to your doctor for more information on camptosar dose and the other drug that you will be getting and how they are provided.After the initial treatment course, the camptosar dosage will be increased by your doctor if you do not experience any major side effects. Your dosage may be lowered or stopped for any chronic side effects, mainly diarrhea or changes that appear in the blood tests.
In case of overdose:

Some possible adverse effects are reported in case of overdose. Inform your doctor at once for any side effects while using camptosar. While taking camptosar, maintain regular appointments with your doctor and talk any problems with your doctor during or after treatment with CAMPTOSAR. Camptosar come with side effects like diarrhea. Harsh diarrhea can be life-threatening if left untreated.

Your doctor will prescribe loperamide (an antidiarrhoeal) for you to take in case you get diarrhoea after treatment. You should start taking loperamide, when you first have poorly formed or loose stools or bowel movements more frequent than you would normally expect. Consult your doctor if your diarrhea comes under control within 24 hours after using loperamide. Inform him if you come with a fever other than diarrhea. Never take loperamide for more that 48 hours.

Your doctor may provide you with antibiotics in these cases. If the diarrhea or fever continues, it may lead to dehydration that will need to be treated. You will be given antibiotics for any changes in your blood tests that indicate a need of white blood cells. Symptoms are recurrent infections including fever, sore throat, severe chills, mouth ulcers etc. For persisting symptoms, you may require to go to hospital for treatment. You will also be given antibiotics for any stomach cramps.
Safe methods of contraception or birth control should be used when using camptosar. Consult your doctor if you get pregnant.

Things you must not do
Never take laxatives during treatment with camptosar due to the risk of diarrhea. Ask your doctor for more information regarding this. Never take any other drugs or prescription without telling your doctor or pharmacist.

Side effects:

Like all other drug, Camptosar also cause some side effects. Side effects are common with anti-cancer medicines like CAMPTOSAR and even deaths have occurred with this treatment. Consult your doctor when experiencing diarrhea, vomiting, fever or any other infections. Inform if you experience fainting, dizziness or light-headedness, bloody or black stools, nausea or vomiting.

Some very common side effects that occur in over 50% of patients are diarrhea or stomach cramps occurring early during or after the treatment or late after 24 hours of treatment, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, anemia that comes with feeling of weakness and light-headedness or fainting, severe infections, hair loss, constipation, sore mouth, flatulence (passing wind), heartburn, fever with high temperature, headache, chills, back pain, fluid retention accompanied by swelling, weight loss, dehydration, runny nose or eyes, skin rash, increased saliva, sweating or flushing, coughing, difficulty breathing, difficulty sleeping etc.

Some less common side effects that occurs below10% of patients are: increased hazard of bleeding, severe fever accompanied with a white blood cell number reduction, kidney problems, jaundice, bowel bleeding, rigorous breathing difficulties, general sickness, abnormal mode of walking, fungal infections like Thrush, etc. Some other side effects that are reported include: allergic reactions such as itching, rash, or hives on the skin. Shortness of breath, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body wheezing or difficulty breathing, pins and needles, chest pains and abdominal bloating are some other side effects.

Some rare side effects on heart and blood vessels are also reported including slowed heart beat, fainting, blackouts, blood clots, swelling and redness in the vein that leads to tenderness when touched, heart attack, chest pains, stroke etc. It is also reported that a small number of patients have died abruptly while using camptosar.Inform your doctor about any side effects, even those that are not listed here.

Storage

Normally stored in a hospital, Camptosar has to be stored below 30 degrees C protected from light (kept in the packaging before use), but not be frozen.
Product Description

Camptosar looks like a sterile, pale yellow, clear fluid used for injection that are available as 2 or 5 millilitres (mL) in amber glass vials. Used for single use, these vials are packaged singly in a foil/plastic blister enclosed within an outer carton.

Identification
Identified by an Australian Register Number, CAMPTOSAR is found on the carton:
2 mL AUST R 58807

5 mL AUST R 58806
Ingredients:

Irinotecan hydrochloride is the active ingredient in CAMPTOSAR and 20 milligrams of irinotecan hydrochloride are available in 1 mL of CAMPTOSAR. Sorbitol, sodium hydroxide, lactic acid, and hydrochloric acid are other ingredients.
Campto notes:
Known by the generic Irinotecan, this medicine comes with the product name Campto or Camptosar. Campto is prescribed to treat bowel cancer that spreads to other parts of the body. It is given as an option to treat cancer when not being treated with surgery alone. This drug is the best prescribed chemotherapy that involves the administration of an anti-cancer drug basically including Campto containing active ingredient as irinotecan hydrochloride.
Prescribed in combination with other anti-cancer drugs, Camto is given to patients initially diagnosed with symptoms of spreading bowel cancer to different body parts. It is also directed to patients who have not shown positive response to cancer treatment or those that have resumed after the initial treatment.
Campto should be prescribed by doctor with experience in administering treatment of cancer. There may be symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramping, vomiting, and infections after using this medicine. Prior to the administering of dosage of Campto, you will be sometimes given with one or more additional medicines to prevent vomiting or feeling of sickness with its treatment.
Undertaking a blood test is vital before every treatment. You should inform your doctor beforehand if you are allergic to irinotecan hydrochloride, or similar other or drugs. You should not take it if pregnant or is planning to become pregnant. Breast –feeding mothers should also avoid this medicine. USD 89.00 is the cost of a 40 mg or 2ml of Campto.