What type of drug is Alimta?
Alimta is a prescription medicine used to treat the symptoms of Mesothelioma and Nonsquamous Non-Small cell Lung Carcinoma. Alimta may be used alone or with other medications. Alimta belongs to a class of drugs called Antineoplastics, Antimetabolite.
What is the drug Alimta used for?
Pemetrexed is used to treat certain types of cancer (such as lung cancer, mesothelioma). It is a chemotherapy drug that works by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells.
Is Alimta chemo or immunotherapy?
Pemetrexed is a type of chemotherapy. It is also known as Alimta. You might have it as a treatment for: pleural mesothelioma (cancer of the outer covering of the lungs)
What is another name for Alimta?
Generic name: Pemetrexed
Alimta is the trade name for generic drug name Pemetrexed. In some cases, health care professionals may use the trade name Alimta when referring to the generic drug name Pemetrexed. Drug type: Pemetrexed is an anti-cancer (“antineoplastic” or “cytotoxic”) chemotherapy drug.
What type of drug is pemetrexed?
Pemetrexed is in a class of medications called antifolate antineoplastic agents. It works by blocking the action of a certain substance in the body that may help cancer cells multiply.
Why do you need folic acid with Alimta?
SAN FRANCISCO—Adding vitamin B12 and folic acid to chemotherapy with pemetrexed disodium (Alimta) reduces the incidence of severe life-threatening toxicities, according to research presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO abstract 300).
How often is B12 given with Alimta?
o Your healthcare provider will give you vitamin B12 injections during treatment with ALIMTA. You will get your first vitamin B12 injection 7 days (1 week) before your first dose of ALIMTA, and then every 3 cycles.
Why do you take folic acid with Alimta?
SAN FRANCISCO-Adding vitamin B12 and folic acid to chemotherapy with pemetrexed disodium (Alimta) reduces the incidence of severe life-threatening toxicities, according to research presented at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO abstract 300).
What kind of chemo is pemetrexed?
Pemetrexed belongs to the class of chemotherapy drugs called antimetabolites. Antimetabolites are very similar to normal substances within the cell. When the cells incorporate substances like pemetrexed into themselves during growth, the cells lose the ability to divide.
Why do you need B12 with Alimta?
Why do we give B12 with Alimta?
Why is B12 and folic acid given with Alimta?
Can chemo patients get B12 shots?
Vitamin B12 injections (1,000 μg i.m.) should also be started 1 week before the first dose of chemotherapy. However, the evidence for delaying chemotherapy by seven days for the purpose of giving vitamin B12 and FA supplementation is not robust.
How toxic is pemetrexed?
Severe (and potentially fatal) renal toxicity has been reported with pemetrexed. Renal toxicity may occur with single-agent pemetrexed or when used in combination with other chemotherapy agents. Pneumonitis has been reported and may occur more frequently in association with radiation.
Why do chemo patients take folic acid?
Folic acid plays a role in the growth and repair of cells. Some studies show that folic acid blocks cancer in its early stages. The evidence for prevention is strongest for colorectal cancer. But getting too much folic acid could have the opposite effect by causing cancer cells to grow more easily.
What vitamins should you not take with chemo?
Echinacea, curcumin, St. John’s wort, valerian root, and allium (an extract of garlic) — all are examples of herbal supplements that can disrupt the toxicity-efficacy balance of chemotherapy.
Is it OK to take vitamin D during chemotherapy?
As many cancer patients will confirm, the chemotherapy prescribed to kill the disease is often more debilitating than the cancer itself, with a range of horrendous side effects.
How long can you take pemetrexed?
You usually have pemetrexed and carboplatin as cycles of treatment. Each cycle of treatment lasts 21 days (3 weeks). Depending on your cancer, you may have between 4 and 6 cycles of treatment, taking about 4 months in total.
Why is folic acid needed with pemetrexed?
Dr. Bunn concluded that folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation significantly reduces the number of episodes of grade 4 hematologic or grade 3-4 non-hematologic toxicity associated with pemetrexed disodium use. This may be attributed to decreases in homocysteine levels.
What makes chemo patients feel better?
Get some rest
Fatigue is the most common side effect experienced by cancer patients, especially those undergoing chemotherapy. So, get plenty of rest and avoid pushing yourself too hard, even if you feel good. Be patient with yourself and others since it may take some time to get back to your regular energy levels.
What supplements should not be taken during chemotherapy?
Can you take vitamin D while on chemo?
What do chemo patients need most?
Healthy snacks and water.
Bring snacks (e.g., crackers, fresh fruit, chicken broth, ginger tea) to stay nourished. Chemo can cause dry mouth and taste changes so bring mints, lemon drops, ginger chews or hard candies.
How successful is pemetrexed?
Median overall survival was 10.5 months for both treatment groups. The 1-year survival rate was 49.9% for pemetrexed/oxaliplatin patients and 43.9% for pemetrexed/carboplatin.
Does Alimta shrink tumors?
One study found positive results for Alimta combined with Keytruda and a platinum-based chemotherapy, such as cisplatin. In this study, researchers found 48% of patients experienced a reduction in tumor size when taking all three drugs.