CeeNU Lomustine

CeeNU® (lomustine) is a prescription chemotherapy medicine used mainly for treating certain brain tumors and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It belongs to the class of drugs called alkylating agents (specifically, nitrosoureas).tretinoin-uk

How It Works

• Lomustine damages DNA in rapidly dividing cells (like cancer cells) by adding alkyl groups.

• This prevents the cells from dividing and leads to cell death.

• Unlike many chemotherapy drugs, lomustine is lipid-soluble, which allows it to cross the blood–brain barrier → making it useful for brain cancers.semaglutide-weight-loss

Uses

• Primary and metastatic brain tumors (including glioblastoma, astrocytoma)

• Hodgkin’s lymphoma (when other treatments have failed or relapsed)

• Sometimes used off-label for other rare cancers

How It’s Taken

• Oral capsule (swallowed whole, on an empty stomach).

• Very unique dosing: taken only once every 6 weeks → because of long-lasting effects on bone marrow.

• Dose is based on body surface area (mg/m²) and adjusted for blood counts and organ function.wegovy-weight-loss

Side Effects

Common:

• Nausea, vomiting (can be delayed or prolonged)

• Loss of appetite

• Mouth sores

• Fatigue

Serious:

• Bone marrow suppression (delayed, can occur 4–6 weeks after dose → low white cells, red cells, and platelets → infection/bleeding risk)

• Lung damage (pulmonary fibrosis, especially with long-term use)

• Liver or kidney toxicity

• Increased risk of secondary cancers (rare but possible with alkylating agents)

Monitoring

Because of its toxicity:

• Regular blood tests (weekly at first, then frequent checks for at least 6 weeks after a dose)

• Lung, liver, and kidney function tests

• Strictly controlled dosing schedule

✅ Bottom line: CeeNU (lomustine) is a powerful oral chemotherapy drug that crosses the blood–brain barrier, making it valuable for brain tumors. It is given infrequently but requires very close monitoring due to its delayed and potentially severe toxic effects.bortezomib-injection