Nelarabine is a chemotherapy drug. It is also called Atriance.
It is a treatment for:
- a type of leukaemia called T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
- a type of lymphoma called T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma
You might have it if your leukaemia or lymphoma has come back after at least 2 other chemotherapy treatments.
How nelarabine works
Nelarabine is from a group of drugs known as antimetabolites.
Chemotherapy works by destroying quickly dividing cells, such as cancer cells.
How you have nelarabine
You have nelarabine as a drip (infusion) into your bloodstream (intravenously).
You might have treatment through a long plastic tube that goes into a large vein in your chest. The tube stays in place throughout the course of treatment. This can be a:
- central line
- PICC line
- portacath
When you have nelarabine
You usually have nelarabine as a course of several cycles of treatment. Each cycle of treatment lasts 21 days (3 weeks).
You have each treatment cycle in the following way:
- You have nelarabine as a drip into your bloodstream over 2 hours
- You have no treatment
- You have nelarabine as a drip into your bloodstream
- You have no treatment
- You have nelarabine as a drip into your bloodstream
- You have no treatment
Then you start the next treatment cycle.
Nelarabine for children and young adults
You usually have nelarabine once a day for 5 days, if you are aged 21 or younger.
It takes about an hour each time you have it. You have treatment every 3 weeks.
Treatment to stop the build up of uric acid
As well as nelarabine, you might also have a fluid drip and tablets to help stop the build up of uric acid. Uric acid can build up in your body when cancer cells are broken down quickly and can cause kidney damage.
Tests
You have blood tests before and during your treatment. They check your levels of blood cells and other substances in the blood. They also check how well your liver and kidneys are working.
Side effects
How often and how severe the side effects are can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatments you're having.
When to contact your team
Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you during treatment and check how you are at your appointments. Contact your advice line as soon as possible if:
- you have severe side effects
- your side effects aren’t getting any better
- your side effects are getting worse
Early treatment can help manage side effects better.
We haven't listed all the side effects here. Remember it is very unlikely that you will have all of these side effects. But you might have some of them at the same time.
Common side effects
These side effects happen in more than 10 in 100 people (more than 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
Increased risk of getting an infection
Increased risk of getting an infection
is due to a drop in white blood cells. Symptoms include a change in temperature, aching muscles, headaches, feeling cold and shivery and generally unwell. You might have other symptoms depending on where the infection is.Infections can sometimes be life threatening. You should contact your advice line urgently if you think you have an infection.
Breathlessness and looking pale
You might be
breathless and look pale
due to a drop in red blood cells. This is called anaemia.Bruising, bleeding gums or nosebleeds
This is due to a
drop in the number of platelets in your blood
. These blood cells help the blood to clot when we cut ourselves. You may have nosebleeds or bleeding gums after brushing your teeth. Or you may have lots of tiny red spots or bruises on your arms or legs (known as petechiae).Tiredness and weakness (fatigue)
Tiredness and weakness (fatigue)
can happen during and after treatment. Doing gentle exercises each day can keep your energy up. Don't push yourself, rest when you start to feel tired and ask others for help.Headaches
Tell your healthcare team if you keep getting headaches. They can give you painkillers to help.
Feeling or being sick
Feeling or being sick
is usually well controlled with anti sickness medicines. Avoiding fatty or fried foods, try eating small meals and snacks, drinking plenty of water, and relaxation techniques can all help.It is important to take anti sickness medicines as prescribed even if you don’t feel sick. It is easier to prevent sickness rather than treat it once it has started.
Constipation
Constipation
is easier to sort out if you treat it early. Drink plenty of fluids and eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can. Try to take gentle exercise, such as walking. Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are constipated for more than 3 days. They can prescribe a laxative.Diarrhoea
Contact your advice line if you have
diarrhoea
, such as if you've had 4 or more loose watery poos (stools) in 24 hours. Or if you can't drink to replace the lost fluid. Or if it carries on for more than 3 days.Your doctor may give you anti diarrhoea medicine to take home with you after treatment. Eat less fibre, avoid raw fruits, fruit juice, cereals and vegetables, and drink plenty to replace the fluid lost.
Fluid build up (oedema)
A build up of fluid may cause swelling in your arms, hands, ankles, legs, face and other parts of the body. Contact your healthcare team if this happens to you.
Drowsiness
This drug may make you feel drowsy or dizzy. Don’t drive or operate machinery if you have this.
If you get very sleepy or are difficult to wake, contact your doctor straight away.
Numbness and tingling in fingers or toes
Numbness or tingling in fingers or toes
is often temporary and can improve after you finish treatment. Tell your healthcare team if you're finding it difficult to walk or complete fiddly tasks such as doing up buttons.You may also have abnormal skin sensations such as burning, prickling or a sensation of something crawling on the skin.
Breathlessness and cough
You might develop a
cough or breathing problems
. This could be due to infection, such as pneumonia or inflammation of the lungs (pneumonitis).Let your doctor or nurse know straight away if you suddenly become breathless or develop a cough.
More rarely, you might have build up of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion). This might cause wheezing or breathlessness.
Muscle pain
You might have muscle pain during treatment. Let your treatment team know so they can advise you on how to reduce it.
Occasional side effects
These side effects happen in between 1 and 10 out of every 100 people (between 1 and 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
- difficulty walking or keeping balance
- memory problems or confusion
- shaking of arms or legs (tremor)
- muscle weakness
- joint, back or stomach pain
- liver or kidney changes - you will have regular blood tests to check this
- low blood pressure
- seizures (fits)
- low levels of minerals in the blood
- high levels of uric acid in the blood (tumour lysis syndrome)
- blurred vision
- loss of appetite and weight loss
- sore mouth and ulcers
- taste changes
Coping with side effects
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
What else do I need to know?
Other medicines, foods and drink
Cancer drugs can interact with some other medicines and herbal products. Tell your doctor or pharmacist about any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies.
Sodium
This drug contains sodium (salt). You might need to take account of this if you are on a controlled sodium diet. Tell your doctor if you are on a low salt diet.
Pregnancy and contraception
This drug may harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to become pregnant or get someone pregnant while you are having treatment with this drug and for at least 3 months afterwards.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception before starting treatment. Let them know straight away if you or your partner falls pregnant while having treatment.
Loss of fertility
It is not known whether this treatment affects fertility in people. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
Breastfeeding
It is not known whether this drug comes through into the breast milk. Doctors usually advise that you don’t breastfeed during this treatment.
Treatment for other conditions
Always tell other doctors, nurses, pharmacists or dentists that you’re having this treatment. For example, if you need treatment for anything else, including teeth problems.
Immunisations
Don’t have immunisations with live vaccines while you’re having treatment and for up to 12 months afterwards. The length of time depends on the treatment you are having. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should avoid live vaccinations.
In the UK, live vaccines include rubella, mumps, measles, BCG, yellow fever and one of the shingles vaccines called Zostavax.
You can have:
- other vaccines, but they might not give you as much protection as usual
- the flu vaccine (as an injection)
- the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine - talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the best time to have it in relation to your cancer treatment
Members of your household who are aged 5 years or over are also able to have the COVID-19 vaccine. This is to help lower your risk of getting COVID-19 while having cancer treatment and until your
Contact with others who have had immunisations - You can be in contact with other people who have had live vaccines as injections. Avoid close contact with people who have recently had live vaccines taken by mouth (oral vaccines) such as the oral typhoid vaccine. Sometimes people who have had the live shingles vaccine can get a shingles type rash. If this happens they should keep the area covered.
If your immune system is severely weakened, you should avoid contact with children who have had the flu vaccine as a nasal spray as this is a live vaccine. This is for 2 weeks following their vaccination.
Babies have the live rotavirus vaccine. The virus is in the baby’s poo for about 2 weeks and could make you ill if your immunity is low. Get someone else to change their nappies during this time if you can. If this isn't possible, wash your hands well after changing their nappy.
More information about this treatment
For further information about this treatment and possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find the patient information leaflet on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines Health and Regulatory Authority (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.