Procarbazine is a chemotherapy medication used for the treatment of Hodgkins lymphoma and brain cancers. For Hodgkins it is often used together with chlormethine, vincristine, and prednisone while for brain cancers such as glioblastoma multiforme it is used with lomustine and vincristine. It is typically taken by mouth.Common side effect include low blood cell counts and vomiting. Other side effects include tiredness and depression. It is not recommended in people with severe liver or kidney problems. Use in pregnancy is known to harm the baby. Procarbazine is in the alkylating agents family of medication. How it works is not clearly known.Procarbazine was approved for medical use in the United States in 1969. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. In the United Kingdom a month of treatment cost the National Health Service 450 to 750 pounds. Medical uses
When used to treat Hodgkins lymphoma, it is often delivered as part of the BEACOPP regimen that includes bleomycin, etoposide, adriamycin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine (tradename Oncovin), prednisone, and procarbazine. The first combination chemotherapy developed for Hodgkins lymphoma (HL), MOPP also included procarbazine (ABVD has supplanted MOPP as standard first line treatment for HL, with BEACOPP as an alternative for advanced/unfavorable HL). Alternatively, when used to treat certain brain tumors (malignant gliomas), it is often dosed as PCV when combined with lomustine (often called CCNU) and vincristine. Dose should be adjusted for kidney disease or liver disease. Side effects
Very common (greater than 10% of people experience them) adverse effects include loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
69 (7): 545–7. doi:10.1136/bjo.69.7.545. PMC 1040666. PMID 4016051. External links
Progressive hemifacial atrophy; Parry-Romberg syndrome at NIHs Office of Rare Diseases