Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Gemcitabina
Gemcitabine (jem-SITE-ah-been)
The active ingredient in a drug that is used to treat pancreatic cancer that is advanced or has spread. It is also used together with other drugs to treat breast cancer that has spread, advanced ovarian cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer that is advanced or has spread. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Gemcitabine blocks the cell from making DNA and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of antimetabolite
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.