Procarbazine

General information

Procarbazine is an alkylating agent that has been used in the treatment of Hodgkin’s disease in regimens such as MOPP (chlormethine (mechlorethamine), vincristine (Oncovin), procarbazine, and prednisolone) and BEACOPP (bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin (Adriamycin), cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone) [ ]. It is also used to treat glioblastoma multiforme. As with many cytotoxic and cytostatic drugs, it can be difficult to attribute adverse events causally to procarbazine, since it is so often used in combinations of this sort.

Drug studies

High-dose intermittent infusions have been used in the treatment of 17 patients with metastatic malignancies refractory to standard therapy [ ]. The major dose-limiting adverse reactions included lethargy, somnolence, dizziness, and numbness and weakness of the extremities and paresthesia. Nausea and vomiting occurred in all patients. Myelosuppression was also noted but appeared to be less marked than that seen with oral administration.

Organs and systems