Streptozocin: High-Dose for SCT

Other Names: Zanosar®

Streptozocin is used to treat cancer. This drug is given in the vein (IV).

Nausea and throwing up. These symptoms may happen within a few hours after you get the drug and may last up to 24 hours. Medicines are available to stop or lessen these side effects.
Changes in kidney function. This drug may affect how your kidneys work. Your kidney function will be checked as needed.

Effects on the pancreas that may cause high blood sugars. You may get increased urination, thirst, or weakness.
Feeling of burning at the IV site
Bone marrow depression. This is a decrease in the number of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. This may raise your risk of infection, make you tired and weak (fatigue), and raise your risk of bleeding.
Changes in lung tissue may happen with large amounts of this drug. These changes may not last forever, and your lung tissue may go back to normal. Sometimes these changes may not be seen for many years. You may get a cough or have trouble catching your breath.

Ask your doctor or nurse about medicine that is available to help stop or lessen nausea and throwing up.
Use effective methods of birth control during your cancer treatment.
Vaginal lubricants can be used to lessen vaginal dryness, itching, and pain during sex.
Speak with your doctor or nurse if you plan to have children. Ask for information on sperm or egg banking.

You may not be able to tolerate intake of foods that have glucose. You should avoid concentrated sweets. Speak to your doctor, nurse, or nutritionist if your blood sugar becomes higher than normal.
This drug may interact with other medicines. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all the medicines and dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, herbs and others) that you are taking at this time. The safety and use of dietary supplements and alternative diets are often not known. Using these might affect your cancer or interfere with your treatment. Until more is known, you should not use dietary supplements or alternative diets without your cancer doctor's help.

Call your doctor or nurse right away if you have any of these symptoms:

Fever of 100.5 F (38 C) or higher
Chills
Bleeding or bruising that is not usual
Wheezing or trouble breathing
Rash or itching
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
Feeling that your heart is beating in a fast or not normal way (palpitations)
Loose bowel movements (diarrhea) more than 4 times a day or diarrhea with weakness or feeling lightheaded
Blurred vision or other changes in eyesight
Pain when passing urine; blood in urine
Pain in your lower back or side
Feeling confused or agitated
Nausea that stops you from eating or drinking
Throwing up more than 3 times a day
Chest pain or symptoms of a heart attack. Most heart attacks involve pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes. The pain may go away and come back. It can feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Sometimes pain is felt in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach. If any of these symptoms last 2 minutes, call 911.
Symptoms of a stroke such as sudden numbness or weakness of your face, arm, or leg, mostly on one side of your body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, feeling dizzy, loss of balance or coordination; or sudden, bad headache with no known cause. If you have any of these symptoms for 2 minutes, call 911.
Signs of liver problems: dark urine, pale bowel movements, bad stomach pain, feeling very tired and weak, unusual itching, or yellowing of the eyes or skin.

Call your doctor or nurse as soon as possible if any of these symptoms happen:

Change in hearing, ringing in the ears
Decreased urine
Unusual thirst or passing urine often
Painful mouth or throat that makes it difficult to eat or drink
Nausea unrelieved by prescribed medication
Rash that is not relieved by prescribed medicines
Heavy menstrual period that lasts longer than normal
Numbness, tingling, decreased sensation or weakness in fingers, toes, arms, or legs
Difficulty in walking or changes in the way you walk, feeling clumsy when buttoning clothes, opening jars, or other routine hand activities
Swelling of legs, ankles, or feet
Weight gain of 5 pounds in one week (fluid retention)
Lasting loss of appetite or rapid weight loss of five pounds in a week
Fatigue that interferes with your daily activities
Headache that does not go away
Painful, red, or swollen areas on your hands or feet.
No bowel movement for 3 days or you feel uncomfortable
Extreme weakness that interferes with normal activities

Sexual problems and reproduction concerns may occur. In both men and women, this drug may affect your ability to have children. This cannot be determined before your treatment. Talk with your doctor or nurse if you plan to have children. Ask your doctor or nurse for information on sperm or egg banking.
Pregnancy warning: This drug may have harmful effects on the unborn child, so effective methods of birth control should be used during your cancer treatment.
Genetic counseling is available for you to talk about the effects of this drug therapy on future pregnancies. Also, a genetic counselor can look at the possible risk of problems in the unborn baby due to this medicine if an exposure happens during pregnancy.
Breast feeding warning: It is not known if this drug passes into breast milk. For this reason, women are advised to discuss with their doctor the risks and benefits of breast feeding during treatment with this drug because this drug may enter the breast milk and seriously harm a breast feeding infant.