Uses
Dinutuximab injection is used in combination with other medications to treat neuroblastoma (cancer that begins in nerve cells) in children who have responded to other treatments.
Dinutuximab injection is in a class of medications called monoclonal antibodies. It works by killing cancer cells.
Side Effects Of Dinutuximab Injection
Dinutuximab injection may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- nausea
- decreased appetite
- weight gain
Some side effects can be serious. If your child experiences any of these symptoms or those listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:
- fever, chills, and other signs of infection
- blurred vision
- changes in vision
- sensitivity to light
- drooping eyelids
- seizures
- muscle cramps
- rapid heartbeat
- fatigue
- blood in urine
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- vomit that is bloody or looks like coffee grounds
- stool that contains bright red blood or is black and tarry
- pale skin
- swelling of the hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
- shortness of breath
- fainting, dizziness, or lightheadedness
Dinutuximab injection may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while receiving this medication.
Warnings & Precautions
Before receiving dinutuximab injection:
- tell your doctor and pharmacist if your child is allergic to dinutuximab, any other medications, or any of the ingredients in dinutuximab injection. Ask your pharmacist for a list of the ingredients.
- tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products your child is taking or plans to take. Your doctor may need to change the doses of medications or monitor your child carefully for side effects.
- tell your doctor if it is possible that your child could become pregnant. Dinutuximab injection may harm the fetus. If needed, your child should use birth control to prevent pregnancy during treatment with dinutuximab and for up to 2 months after treatment. Talk to your doctor about the types of birth control that will work. If your child becomes pregnant while using dinutuximab injection, call your doctor.
Dinutuximab Injection Dosage
Dinutuximab injection comes as a solution (liquid) to be injected intravenously (into a vein) over 10 to 20 hours by a doctor or nurse in a medical facility or infusion center. It is usually given for 4 consecutive days within a treatment cycle for up to 5 cycles.
Be sure to tell the doctor how your child is feeling during the treatment. Your child’s doctor may decrease the dose, or stop the treatment for a while or permanently if your child experiences side effects to the medication.
Other
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
Source
All information has been provided courtesy of MedLinePlus from the National Library of Medicine and from the FDA.
