Last update April 5, 2021

Idarubicin Hydrochloride

Incompatible

Very unsafe. Contraindicated. Use of an alternative or cessation of breastfeeding. Read the Commentary.

Idarubicin, an analogue of Daunorubicin, is an anthracycline antibiotic with antineoplastic actions similar to those of doxorubicin.
It is used, alone or with other drugs, for the induction of remission in patients with acute myeloid leukaemias and as a second-line treatment in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and advanced breast cancer.
Intravenous administration for 3 to 5 days.

Since the last update we have not found any published data on its excretion in breast milk.

Its pharmacokinetic characteristics (high plasma protein binding and very large volume of distribution) make it very unlikely its excretion into breast milk in significant amounts.

During the treatment of cancer, breastfeeding should be interrupted temporarily due to potentially serious side effects for the infant. Chemotherapy does not affect milk production during or after treatment.
Abrupt weaning can be psychologically traumatic for both the mother and the infant (Pistilli 2013). If the mother wishes, production of milk can be maintained by regularly expressing breastmilk, being able to resume breastfeeding in the periods in which no significant traces of the drug remain in the milk (Anderson 2016) or at the end of the treatment (Pistilli 2013).

It is known from pharmacokinetics that after 3 elimination half-lives (T½), 87.5% of the drug is eliminated from the organism; after 4 T½ it is 94%, after 5 T½, 96.9%, after 6 T½, 98.4% and after 7 T½, 99%. From 7 T½ the plasma concentrations of the drug in the body are negligible. In general, a period of at least five half-lives can be considered a safe waiting period before breastfeeding again (Anderson 2016).

Taking the longest published T½ of all the active metabolites (69 hours) as a reference, these 5 T½ would correspond to 14 days. Due to major side effects, it would be advisable to wait 7 T½, which would correspond to 20 days. Meanwhile, express and discard milk from the breast regularly to maintain production.

When it is possible to do so, milk detections of each patient to determine the total elimination of the drug would be the best indicator to resume breastfeeding between two cycles of chemotherapy.

Some chemotherapeutic agents with an antibiotic effect can alter the composition of the microbiota (bacterial set or bacterial flora) of the milk and the concentration of some of its components (Urbaniak 2014). This possibly occurs temporarily with subsequent recovery, although no harmful effects are assumed or have been reported in breastfed infants.

Women undergoing chemotherapy during pregnancy have lower rates of breastfeeding because they experience difficulties in breastfeeding (Stopenski 2017), needing more support to achieve it.

Given the strong evidence that exists regarding the benefits of breastfeeding for the development of babies and the health of mothers, it is advisable to evaluate the risk-benefit of any maternal treatment, including chemotherapy, individually advising each mother who wishes to continue with breastfeeding (Koren 2013).

Alternatives

We do not have alternatives for Idarubicin Hydrochloride.

Suggestions made at e-lactancia are done by APILAM team of health professionals, and are based on updated scientific publications. It is not intended to replace the relationship you have with your doctor but to compound it. The pharmaceutical industry contraindicates breastfeeding, mistakenly and without scientific reasons, in most of the drug data sheets.

Jose Maria Paricio, Founder & President of APILAM/e-Lactancia

Your contribution is essential for this service to continue to exist. We need the generosity of people like you who believe in the benefits of breastfeeding.

Thank you for helping to protect and promote breastfeeding.

José María Paricio, founder of e-lactancia.

Other names

Idarubicin Hydrochloride is also known as


Idarubicin Hydrochloride in other languages or writings:

Group

Idarubicin Hydrochloride belongs to this group or family:

Tradenames

Main tradenames from several countries containing Idarubicin Hydrochloride in its composition:

Pharmacokinetics

Variable Value Unit
Oral Bioavail. 35 (20 - 40) %
Molecular weight 498 daltons
Protein Binding 97 %
VD 13 - 28.6 l/Kg
pKa 9.55 -
Tmax 2 - 4 hours
22 - 69 hours

References

  1. Sandoz. Idarubicina. Ficha técnica. 2019 Full text (in our servers)
  2. Stopenski S, Aslam A, Zhang X, Cardonick E. After Chemotherapy Treatment for Maternal Cancer During Pregnancy, Is Breastfeeding Possible? Breastfeed Med. 2017 Mar;12:91-97. Abstract
  3. Anderson PO. Cancer Chemotherapy. Breastfeed Med. 2016 May;11:164-5. Abstract Full text (link to original source) Full text (in our servers)
  4. Mylan Ph. Idarubicin. Drug Summary. 2014 Full text (in our servers)
  5. Urbaniak C, McMillan A, Angelini M, Gloor GB, Sumarah M, Burton JP, Reid G. Effect of chemotherapy on the microbiota and metabolome of human milk, a case report. Microbiome. 2014 Jul 11;2:24. Abstract Full text (link to original source) Full text (in our servers)
  6. Pistilli B, Bellettini G, Giovannetti E, Codacci-Pisanelli G, Azim HA Jr, Benedetti G, Sarno MA, Peccatori FA. Chemotherapy, targeted agents, antiemetics and growth-factors in human milk: how should we counsel cancer patients about breastfeeding? Cancer Treat Rev. 2013 May;39(3):207-11. Abstract
  7. Koren G, Carey N, Gagnon R, Maxwell C, Nulman I, Senikas V; Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Cancer chemotherapy and pregnancy. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2013 Mar;35(3):263-278. Abstract Full text (link to original source) Full text (in our servers)

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