The role of arsenic in cancer treatment
Many patients question whether or not TRISENOX
® (arsenic trioxide) injection is toxic because it
contains arsenic. While TRISENOX is a form of arsenic known as "arsenic trioxide," it is
manufactured under carefully controlled conditions, prepared with the highest quality standards,
and has been found to be safe and effective when used appropriately by doctors and nurses
experienced in the treatment of cancer.
Arsenic trioxide is routinely used to treat certain leukemia patients and is the subject of
patient trials involving other cancers as well. Like other cancer medicines, arsenic kills
cancer cells, and the federal government approved TRISENOX as a cancer medicine because it has
proven to be safe and effective when used correctly.
1-3
Although some people may automatically think of arsenic as a toxic chemical, it is actually a
naturally occurring substance that has been used in medicine for over 2,000 years. For example,
arsenic was used to fight the plague in the middle ages, and it was one of the first drugs used
to treat a certain type of leukemia back in the 1800s. Doctors in Asia have used arsenic for
hundreds of years for many different medical problems.
As with all medicines, the dose of arsenic is important. Many cancer drugs would be hazardous if
used in the wrong amounts or in the wrong way, and arsenic is no different. The dose of arsenic
in TRISENOX is very small, and it is given over time at a carefully measured rate. When used at
the right dose and given in the right way, TRISENOX is a safe and effective cancer treatment.
>> Click here for frequently asked questions about therapy with TRISENOX.
In clinical trials, most patients taking TRISENOX experienced some drug-related toxicity, most
commonly leukocytosis, gastrointestinal (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain), fatigue,
edema, hyperglycemia, dyspnea, cough, rash or itching, headaches, and dizziness. These adverse
effects have not been observed to be permanent or irreversible, nor do they usually require
interruption of therapy.
1. TRISENOX Prescribing Information. Frazer, PA: Cephalon, Inc.;2005.
2. Soignet SL, Frankel SR, Douer D, et al. United States multicenter study of arsenic trioxide in relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2001;19:3852-3860.
3. Soignet SL, Maslak P, Wang Z-G, et al. Complete remission after treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia with arsenic trioxide. N Engl J Med. 1998;339:1341-1348.