DepoCyt (Cytarabine liposome) for Lymphoma

Overview
DepoCyt is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat certain types of leukemia and lymphoma that have spread to the meninges – the layers of tissue that cover the brain. DepoCyt may also be called its drug name, cytarabine liposome.

DepoCyt is an anticancer drug and is a member of a class of drugs called antimetabolites. DepoCyt is believed to work by interfering with DNA synthesis in replicating cells.

How do I take it?
DepoCyt is usually administered by intrathecal (into the spinal canal) injection.

Side effects
The FDA-approved label for DepoCyt lists common side effects including headache, confusion, weakness, dizziness, insomnia, lethargy, neck pain, back pain, fever, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and urinary tract infection. Chemical arachnoiditis — a syndrome characterized by gastrointestinal upset, fever, and headache — is a frequent side effect and may be fatal if untreated. Individuals taking DepoCyt should also take dexamethasone for symptomatic control of chemical arachnoiditis.

Rare but serious side effects listed for DepoCyt include permanent neurological deficits, seizures, blindness, deafness, fetal harm, impaired control over bladder and bowel, and encephalopathy.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

DepoCyt — RxList
https://www.rxlist.com/depocyt-drug.htm

Cytarabine — Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
https://www.lls.org/treatment/types-of-treatmen...