Vincristine, also known as leurocristine and marketed under the brand name Oncovin among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkins disease, neuroblastoma, and small cell lung cancer among others. It is given intravenously.Most people experience some side effects from vincristine treatment. Commonly it causes a change in sensation, hair loss, constipation, difficulty walking, and headaches. Serious side effects may include neuropathic pain, lung damage, or low white blood cells which increases the risk of infection. Use during pregnancy may result in birth defects. It works by stopping cells from dividing properly. It is vital that it not be given intrathecally, as this causes paralysis and in most cases, death.Vincristine was first isolated in 1961. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. It is a vinca alkaloid that can be obtained from the Madagascar periwinkle Catharanthus roseus. Medical uses
Vincristine is delivered via intravenous infusion for use in various types of chemotherapy regimens. Its main uses are in non-Hodgkins lymphoma as part of the chemotherapy regimen CHOP R-CVP, Hodgkins lymphoma as part of MOPP, COPP, BEACOPP, or the less popular Stanford V chemotherapy regimen in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and in treatment for nephroblastoma. It is also used to induce remission in ALL with dexamethasone and L-Asparaginase, and in combination with prednisone to treat childhood leukemia.
A number of children diagnosed with the disorder have been born to parents who were first cousins. It can also be associated with uniparental isodisomy. Diagnosis
Treatment
Epidemiology
Fumarase deficiency is extremely rare - until around 1990 there had only been 13 diagnosed and identified cases worldwide.A cluster of 20 cases has since been documented in the twin towns of Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah, both of which were formerly known as "Short Creek" (or the Short Creek Community). The two towns combine to form a community of 10,000 members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who have a history of practicing successive endogamy, or marriage within their own communities. Nicknamed "Polygamists Downs", the syndrome has been blamed on cousin marriage, but in a larger sense is related to the reproductive isolation of a community among whom 85% are blood relatives of John Y. Barlow or Joseph Smith Jessop.Since the initial cluster from FLDS communities were reported, it is now estimated that there are 100 documented cases worldwide. See also
Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer
Founder effect

References
Further reading
Pithukpakorn, Manop; Toro, Jorge R. (November 2, 2010) [July 31, 2006]. "Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer". GeneReviews. Seattle WA: University of Washington. PMID 20301430. == External links ==