Dacarbazine (da-KAR-ba-zeen) (brand names DTIC, DTIC-Dome; also known as DIC or Imidazole Carboxamide) is an antineoplastic chemotherapy drug used in the treatment of various cancers, among them malignant melanoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, sarcoma, and islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas. Antineoplastic drugs are drugs which interfere with cell growth and impede the formation of new tissue - in this case, tumor tissue. These drugs are also known as cytotoxic drugs. Dacarbazine belongs to the family of chemicals known as alkylating agents. Dacarbazine is normally administered by injection (a shot) or intravenous infusion (IV) under the immediate supervision of a doctor or nurse.

History

Dacarbazine gained FDA approval in May 1975 as DTIC-Dome. The drug was initially marketed by Bayer.

Side effects

Like many chemotherapy drugs, dacarbazine may have numerous serious side effects, because it interferes with normal cell growth as well as cancer cell growth. Among the most serious possible side effects are birth defects to children conceived or carried during treatment; sterility, possibly permanent; or immune suppression (reduced ability to fight infection or disease). Dacarbazine is considered to be highly emetogenic, and most patients will be pre-medicated with antiemetic drugs like palonosetron or aprepitant. Other significant side effects include headache, fatigue and occasionally diarrhea.

Common uses

As of mid-2006, dacarbazine is commonly used as a single agent in the treatment of metastatic melanoma, and as part of the ABVD chemotherapy regimen to treat Hodgkin lymphoma, and in the MAID regimen for sarcoma.

Experimental

Dacarbazine + Oblimersen. In clinical trials for malignant melanoma.

Suppliers

Bayer continues to supply DTIC-Dome. There are also generic versions of dacarbazine available from APP, Bedford, Mayne Pharma and Sicor (Teva).

See also

• Melanoma
• Hodgkin disease
• ABVD
• History of cancer chemotherapy
• Alkylating antineoplastic agent

Sources

• MedLine, U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medline/
• Cancerweb, http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cancerweb/
• OncoLink, http://oncolink.upenn.edu/