A healthcare provider may prescribe Bexxar
® (
tositumomab) to treat certain types of non-
Hodgkin's lymphoma, a cancer that begins in the lymphatic system. Bexxar is a synthetic (manufactured) monoclonal antibody.
As part of the treatment regimen, Bexxar is linked to a radioactive element (Iodine I-131). Radioactive treatment such as this is sometimes called radioimmunotherapy.
Bexxar binds to the surface of healthy and certain cancerous cells, signaling the immune system to destroy the cancer cells. In addition, because Bexxar is linked to I-131, it emits radiation that helps destroy both the cancer cell the medicine is attached to and surrounding cancer cells.
(Click Bexxar for more details on how this drug works to help destroy cancer cells. This article also discusses possible side effects, dosing guidelines, and safety precautions.)
HealthSavvy Sign In
|