13-cis-Retinoic Acid

Isotretinoin or Accutane is drug that is used to treat cancer or rather it is an anti-cancer medication or drug. It is used to treat different types of cancer and also used to treat acne problems.

How is this drug administered?

This drug is taken orally i.e. it comes in a form of gelatin capsule in different capacities i.e. 10mg, 20mgs and 40mgs. You need to protect this capsule from sunlight. This capsule should not be taken on empty and taken with water or any other fluid. The medication that is administered depends upon various factors like your weight, height, your overall health and the most important factor being the type of cancer you are suffering from.

What are the side effects of Isotretinoin?

As such there are no particular side effects but then the side effects are reversible i.e. the side effects go away after the completion of the treatment. Apart from these there are various methods to minimize the side effects.

Some of the commonly seen side effects of retinoid toxicity are headaches, dry skin, nausea, mouth sores etc. Patients who are administered isotretinoin often complain of muscle pain, joint pain, dizziness, insomnia, depression, hair loss, low blood counts etc.

Some of the serious side effects due to isotretinoin are that it has been noticed that there are rare but potential blood clots which leads to strokes, inflammation in the pancreas which leads to rapid pulse, fever, vomiting etc. Yet another side effect is APL syndrome wherein there is a reaction of the drug and the cancer cells especially if isotretinoin is administered to treat leukemia.

Whenever you experience side effects like breathlessness, swelling of the facial muscles, high temperature, and abdominal pains you need to consult your doctor immediately. Stools with blood, unusual bleeding mouth sores, diarrhea etc if repeatedly noticed within 24 hours should be taken into immediate consideration.

Precautions that need to be taken before you start on isotretinoin is that you need to tell your doctor of all the medications that you are on be it herbal or otherwise. Stop Vitamin A supplements as there is an increase in the side effects of isotretinoin, do not get yourself immunized or vaccinated before starting the treatment, in case of pregnancy you need to inform your doctor of such a state as this drug is harmful to the fetus. Breast feeding is strictly to be avoided if you are on this medication.

Certain tips:

Take the medication at the same time every day, avoid taking grape juice, avoid the use of contact lenses, drink as much as water or fluids as possible, avoid crowded places as your immune system is weak and you are prone to infections, take anti-nausea tic medications to reduce nausea, avoid exposure to sunlight, discuss with your doctor about the side effects if any and rectify the problem at the earliest. Monitoring your blood counts and lipid profile at regular intervals is of utmost importance.

Retinoid are known to control normal cell growth. The effects can be differentiated into two namely retinoid nuclear receptors and retinoid X-receptors’. Retinoid is used either as a single drug therapy or in a combination drug therapy to treat cancers of the ovaries, breast, kidney, lungs, head and neck etc.

This is a new anti cancer drug that has been known to give some wonderful results for the treatment of cancer.