For use in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of refractory testicular tumors and as first line treatment in patients with small cell lung cancer. Also used to treat other malignancies such as lymphoma, non-lymphocytic leukemia, and glioblastoma multiforme.
Etoposide inhibits DNA topoisomerase II, thereby inhibiting DNA re-ligation. This causes critical errors in DNA synthesis at the premitotic stage of cell division and can lead to apoptosis of the cancer cell.. Etoposide is cell cycle dependent and phase specific, affecting mainly the S and G2 phases of cell division.
Side effects include alopecia, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting and secondary malignancies (leukemia).
Absorbed well, time to peak plasma concentration is 1-1.5 hrs. Mean bioavailability is 50%.
4-12 hours
Etoposide is cleared by both renal and nonrenal processes, i.e., metabolism and biliary excretion. Glucuronide and/or sulfate conjugates of etoposide are also excreted in human urine. Biliary excretion of unchanged drug and/or metabolites is an important route of etoposide elimination as fecal recovery of radioactivity is 44% of the intravenous dose. Only 8% or less of an intravenous dose is excreted in the urine as radiolabeled metabolites of 14C-etoposide.
* 33 - 48 mL/min [IV administration]