MITOTANE

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MITOTANE (brand name: Lysodren®): Mitotane is an antitumoral medicine. It used to treat the symptoms of adrenal cortical carcinoma (cancer of the outer layer of the adrenal gland). Mitotane is used when the cancer is inoperable, metastatic or recurrent malignant tumours of the adrenal glands1 . Mitotane affects the adrenal glands where some hormones are produced and impacts the way cortisol is processed in other parts of the body.2

It is thought Mitotane works by selectively destroying cancer cell in the adrenal cortex. Mitotane inhibits the production of adrenal hormones.3 It can take several weeks to several months for Mitotane to reach the appropriate blood levels needed to destroy the cancer cells. The effects of Mitotane are reversible, but the drug can stay in the bloodstream for weeks following discontinuation of taking the drug.1

1 Package leaflet Lysodren EU
2 Lysodren US PI
3 Hinojosa-Amaya JM et al., Drugs. 2019;79(9):935-956

You can also refer to https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/files/adrenal-patient-handbook.pdf, page 21-22 and 23 for more details