What is ALKERAN?
Alkeran is the trade name for Melphalan. L-PAM, L-Sarcolysin, and Phenylalanine Mustard are other names for Melphalan. In some cases, health care professionals may use the trade name Alkeran or other names L-PAM, L-Sarcolysin, and Phenylalanine Mustard when referring to the generic drug name Melphalan.
What Alkeran Is Used For:
- Multiple myeloma
- Ovarian cancer
- Neuroblastoma
- Rhabdomyosarcoma
- Breast cancer
- Used in some conditioning regimens prior to bone marrow transplant
Note: If a drug has been approved for one use, physicians may elect to use this same drug for other problems if they believe it may be helpful.
How will I receive Alkeran?
- As a pill by mouth. Tablets come in a 2mg size.
- Take medication on an empty stomach (1 hour before to 2 hours after meals).
- As an injection or infusion into the vein (intravenous, IV).
- The amount of melphalan that you will receive depends on many factors, including your height and weight, your general health or other health problems, and the type of cancer or condition being treated. Your doctor will determine your dose and schedule.
What are the possible side effects of Alkeran?
Alkeran can cause serious side effects, including:
- Most people do not experience all of the side effects listed.
- The following side effects are common (occurring in greater than 30%) for patients taking melphalan:
- Low blood counts
- red blood cells and platelets may temporarily decrease
- increased risk for infection
- anemia and/or bleeding
- Nausea
- vomiting
The Less common side effects of Alkeran include:
- Allergic reaction
- Mouth sores
- diarrhea
- Loss of fertility
- Hair loss.
- Nephrotoxicity
- Arrythmias
General information about the safe and effective use of Alkeran
General: In all instances where the use of ALKERAN is considered for chemotherapy, the physician must evaluate the need and usefulness of the drug against the risk of adverse events. ALKERAN should be used with extreme caution in patients whose bone marrow reserve may have been compromised by prior irradiation or chemotherapy, or whose marrow function is recovering from previous cytotoxic therapy. If the leukocyte count falls below 3,000 cells/mcL, or the platelet count below 100,000 cells/mcL, ALKERAN should be discontinued until the peripheral blood cell counts have recovered.
Information for Patients: Patients should be informed that the major toxicities of ALKERAN are related to bone marrow suppression, hypersensitivity reactions, gastrointestinal toxicity, and pulmonary toxicity. The major long-term toxicities are related to infertility and secondary malignancies. Patients should never be allowed to take the drug without close medical
What are the ingredients in ALKERAN?
Medicines are sometimes prescribed for purposes other than those listed in a Patient Information leaflet. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about ALIQOPA that is written for health professionals.
- Inactive ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, hypromellose, macrogol/PEG 400, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, and titanium dioxide
Tell your healthcare provider if you have vomiting, diarrhea, or signs of dehydration that does not go away. ABRAXANE may cause fertility problems in males and females, which may affect your ability to have a child.
Talk to your healthcare provider if this is a concern for you. These are not all of the possible side effects of ABRAXANE. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Ask your healthcare provider if you do not know.