Doxorubicin is an anthracycline antibiotic that binds to nucleic acids by intercalating with the DNA double helix.

♦ Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

♦ Acute myeloblastic leukemia

♦ Wilms tumor, neuroblastoma

♦ Soft tissue and bone sarcoma

♦ Carcinoma of the breast and ovaries, and transitional cell bladder, thyroid, and gastric cancer

♦ Hodgkin’s disease, malignant lymphoma, bronchogenic cancer (small cell)

Metabolized in the liver; excreted in the urine, bile, and feces. May discolor urine from 1 to 48 hours.

♦ Adult: As a single agent, 60 to 75 mg/m² IV as a single dose every 21 days, or 30 mg/m² IV for 3 days every 4 weeks. When used in combination therapy, 40 to 50 mg/m² as a single IV injection every 21 to 28 days. The dose should
be adjusted if the patient has inadequate bone marrow reserve caused by old age, prior therapy, or neoplastic marrow infiltration. Dose modifications are recommended for the following serum bilirubin levels: for 1.0 to 2.3 mg, reduce dose by 50%; for 3.1 to 5.0 mg, reduce dose by 75%.