IMPORTANT WARNING:  

About your treatment  

Your doctor has ordered the drug mechlorethamine to help treat your illness. The drug is given by injection into a vein.

This medication is used to treat:

• Hodgkin's disease
• lymphosarcoma
• chronic myelocytic or chronic lymphocytic leukemia
• polycythemia vera
• mycosis fungoides
• bronchogenic carcinoma

This medication is sometimes prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Mechlorethamine is in a class of drugs known as alkylating agents; it slows or stops the growth of cancer cells in your body. The length of treatment depends on the types of drugs you are taking, how well your body responds to them, and the type of cancer you have.

Other uses for this medicine  

Mechlorethamine is also used in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, malignant melanoma, breast cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and carcinoma of the GI tract. Mechlorethamine has been applied to the skin to treat mycosis fungoides and psoriasis. Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.

In case of emergency/overdose  

In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.

Special instructions  

• Drink plenty of fluids and urinate frequently during your treatment.
• The most common side effect of mechlorethamine is a decrease in the number of blood cells. Your doctor may order tests before, during, and after your treatment to see if your blood cells are affected by the drug.

Brand names  

Other names