This patient-friendly article is about chemotherapy drug, Irinotecan (Campto) which is used to treat bowel cancer, generally given in combination with other chemotherapy drugs 5FU and Leucovorin (folinic acid). It is administered intravenously. It is made from a plant alkaloid known as a topoisomerase I inhibitor. It is thought to work by blocking the action of that enzyme within the cells. Blocking this enzyme leads to breaks in the DNA, which leads to cell death. Because cancer cells divide more rapidly than normal cells, they are more likely than normal cells to be affected by this.
Side effects can include: fatigue, acute cholinergic syndrome (Increased sweating, production of saliva, stomach cramps and diarrhoea) which can be drug controlled, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.
Go to: 10 ways to improve your chemotherapy success and reduce side-effects
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- A diet for Chemotherapy
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Go to: Return to the CANCERactive drug list