Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analog and a chemotherapeutic agent. It was originally investigated for its antiviral effects, but it is now used as an anticancer therapy for various cancers. Gemcitabine is a cytidine analog with two fluorine atoms replacing the hydroxyl on the ribose. As a prodrug, gemcitabine is transformed into its active metabolites that work by replacing the building blocks of nucleic acids during DNA elongation, arresting tumour growth and promoting apoptosis of malignant cells. The structure, metabolism, and mechanism of action of gemcitabine are similar to cytarabine, but gemcitabine has a wider spectrum of antitumour activity.
Gemcitabine is marketed as Gemzar and it is available as intravenous injection. It is approved by the FDA to treat advanced ovarian cancer in combination with carboplatin, metastatic breast cancer in combination with paclitaxel, non-small cell lung cancer in combination with cisplatin, and pancreatic cancer as monotherapy. It is also being investigated in other cancer and tumour types.
Gemcitabine is a chemotherapeutic agent used as monotherapy or in combination with other anticancer agents.
In combination with carboplatin, it is indicated for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer that has relapsed at least 6 months after completion of platinum-based therapy.
Gemcitabine in combination with paclitaxel is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer after failure of prior anthracycline-containing adjuvant chemotherapy, unless anthracyclines were clinically contraindicated.
In combination with cisplatin, gemcitabine is indicated for the first-line treatment of patients with inoperable, locally advanced (Stage IIIA or IIIB) or metastatic (Stage IV) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Dual therapy with cisplatin is also used to treat patients with Stage IV (locally advanced or metastatic) transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder.
Gemcitabine is indicated as first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced (nonresectable Stage II or Stage III) or metastatic (Stage IV) adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Gemcitabine is indicated for patients previously treated with fluorouracil.
Henry Ford Health Saint John Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, United States
Children's Hospital of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
Providence Alaska Medical Center, Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Colchester Hospital, Colchester, United Kingdom
The Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford, United Kingdom
St James' Institute of Oncology, Leeds, United Kingdom
Istituto Oncologico della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
CHUV - Swiss Cancer Center Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland
Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville South, South Australia, Australia
St John of God Hospital, Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia
Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States
Chilldren's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Saint Petersburg, Florida, United States
Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai, Shanghai, China
the second affiliated hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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