Arsenic sesquioxide

Arsenic Sesquioxide, also known as Trisenox, is a medicament used to treat patients with leukemia that are unresponsive to other agents. This medicament was given approval for use by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for leukemia and is one of the highly debatable medicaments in the medical field being that it is poisonous to the human body. Arsenic Sesquioxide was first used as a traditional Chinese medicine called Pi Shuang and is still used today to treat cancer patients and other health conditions.

Arsenic Sesquioxide is prescribed to patients that are suffering from acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and have not responded to treatment from "first-line" agents.

Arsenic Sesquioxide is diluted in intravenous solutions. 100 to 250ml of this medicament is injected into Dextrose Injection, 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, and USP. A single-dosage is stored securely and any leftovers from the ampule must be discarded. Arsenic Sesquioxide is administered 1 to 2 hours intravenously but may be extended to 4 hours if there is acute vasomotor reaction observed in the patient.

For bone marrow therapy, Arsenic Sesquioxide is administered at a dosage of 0.15 mg per kg weight of the patient daily until bone marrow remission. The total dosage given to the patient should not reach 60.

Arsenic Sesquioxide treatment should begin 3 to 6 weeks after completing the induction therapy. It is administered through IV at 0.15 mg per kg weight of the patient daily for 25 dosages in total for 5 weeks, but may vary based on the patient's condition.

Common side effects are wamble, vomiting, abdominal pains, leukocytosis, lassitude, hyperglycemia, edema, coughing, rash or itching, dyspnea, headaches and dizziness, and some medicament-related toxicity -- though the latter is said to be rare. If you experience any of these symptoms, consult your physician immediately.

No tests have been conducted in regards to the interaction of Arsenic Sesquioxide with other medicaments. Therefore, it is recommended that the patient first consult a physician and have them do a thorough physical and medical examination to determine the effectiveness and safety of the use of this medicament. Patients who have an adverse allergic reaction to Arsenic Blank should not be treated with this medicament.

Patients should be monitored at least twice a week to determine abnormalities before and after the treatment. This is a priority for clinically unstable patients.

This medicament is in Pregnancy Category D. Any woman who is pregnant or may become pregnant should consult a physician before proceeding with the treatment. Nursing mothers should not breastfeed their babies when undergoing Arsenic Sesquioxide treatment to avoid complications within the infant's system. People with renal and hepatic impairment should also consult their physician before proceeding with the treatment.

Arsenic sesquioxide has the following structural formula:

Review published on: 22 February 2010