Formulary
Epirubicin hydrochloride [Specialist drug]: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Epirubicin hydrochloride [Specialist drug] clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
MedNext Academy | 3 min read
Epirubicin hydrochloride [Specialist drug]: Indications, Dosing, Side Effects and Interactions
Epirubicin hydrochloride [Specialist drug] clinical drug profile including indications, dosing, side effects, cautions and interactions.
Indications and dose
**Breast cancer,Gastric cancer,Small cell lung cancer,Ovarian cancer,Colorectal cancer,Lymphoma,Leukaemia,Multiple myeloma**
- **Adult** (By Intravenous Injection, Or By Intravenous Infusion): Specialist drug - access specialist resources for dosing information.
Contraindications
For epirubicin hydrochloride [Specialist drug] Bladder inflammation or contraction (when used as a bladder instillation); catheterisation difficulties (when used as a bladder instillation); haematuria (when used as a bladder instillation); invasive tumours penetrating the bladder (when used as a bladder instillation); myocardiopathy; previous treatment with maximum cumulative doses of epirubicin or other anthracycline; recent myocardial infarction; severe arrhythmia; severe myocardial insufficiency; unstable angina; urinary tract infections (when used as a bladder instillation)
Side effects
For epirubicin hydrochloride [Specialist drug] Common or very common With intravesical use Chemical cystitis With parenteral use Alopecia; amenorrhoea; anaemia; appetite decreased; arrhythmias; cardiac conduction disorders; chills; congestive heart failure; dehydration; diarrhoea; eye inflammation; fever; gastrointestinal discomfort; gastrointestinal disorders; haemorrhage; increased risk of infection; leucopenia; malaise; mucositis; nail discolouration; nausea; neutropenia; oral disorders; skin reactions; thrombocytopenia; urine discolouration; vasodilation; vomiting Uncommon With parenteral use Asthenia; embolism and thrombosis; sepsis Rare or very rare With parenteral use Hyperuricaemia Frequency not known With parenteral use Bone marrow depression; cardiomyopathy; cardiotoxicity; photosensitivity reaction; radiation injuries; shock Side-effects, further information Manufacturer advises extreme caution with cumulative doses exceeding 900 mg/m 2 -risk of congestive heart failure increased.
Medicinal forms
Solution,Solution,Solution
Clinical governance
**Author:** MedNext Clinical Team. **Clinical reviewer:** Dr Shameer Deen, MBBS, MS, MRCS. **Sources:** BNF, Indian Pharmacopoeia, CIMS India. **Correction:** Report errors at support@mednext.academy.
Inside MedNext for this topic
- 411 MedNext-authored chapters
- 80,000+ MCQ bank
- 15 study modes
- Growing visual cheat sheets
Study modes
- Notes
- MCQ
- Audio
- Video
- Visual
- 3D Anatomy
- Trace
- Flashcards
- Mnemonics
- Image Bank
- Clinical
- Microscopy
- Audio QBank
- Cadaver
- Book Match
Continue reading
Subject HubPharmacology Hub
All pharmacology resources in one place.
Drug SchedulesIndian Drug Schedules
Schedule H, H1, X and G classifications.
FormularyBrowse all drugs
Search 1,850+ drug profiles.
Study Epirubicin hydrochloride [Specialist drug] in the MedNext app
Challenge yourself with targeted pharmacology MCQs on this drug class. Every explanation links back to the chapter that teaches the concept.
Start drug challengeExplore the full formulary

