-
Dacarbazine
- indication:For the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma. In addition, dacarbazine is also indicated for Hodgkin's disease as a secondary-line therapy when used in combination with other antineoplastic agents.
- pharmacologypharmacology:
- mechanism: The mechanism of action is not known, but appears to exert cytotoxic effects via its action as an alkylating agent. Other theories include DNA synthesis inhibition by its action as a purine analog, and interaction with SH groups. Dacarbazine is not cell cycle-phase specific.
- toxicity: LD<sub>50</sub>=350mg/kg (orally in mice)
- absorprion: Erratic, slow and incomplete
- halflife: 5 hours
- roouteelimination: Dacarbazine is subject to renal tubular secretion rather than glomerular filtration. In man, dacarbazine is extensively degraded. Besides unchanged dacarbazine, 5-aminoimidazole -4 carboxamide (AIC) is a major metabolite of dacarbazine excreted in the urine.
- volumedistribution:
- clearance: