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At a glance
- Treatment
- Gemcitabine; Gemzar and generic brands
- Used in selected settings
- Pancreatic, biliary, bladder, lung, ovarian and selected breast cancers
- How it is given
- An infusion into a vein, commonly over about 30 minutes. Longer or different infusions are used only in defined protocols.
- Before you start
- Save your 24-hour oncology number and have a thermometer and written medicine calendar available.
What this treatment is and how it works
An antimetabolite that interferes with DNA (the genetic material inside cells) production in dividing cancer cells.
When it may be used
Your team may use this treatment in the following settings: Pancreatic, biliary, bladder, lung, ovarian and selected breast cancers. The choice depends on the exact diagnosis, stage, previous treatment, health and treatment aim. Treatment may aim to cure cancer, lower the risk of recurrence, or control cancer and symptoms, depending on the setting.
A listed use is not a claim that every brand is licensed for that use in every country. Your oncologist will explain why this treatment is appropriate for you.
Before treatment
Before starting, tell the team about previous cancer treatment, allergies, infection symptoms, heart, lung, kidney or liver disease, hearing or nerve problems, diabetes and all medicines you take. Discuss pregnancy, contraception and fertility. Ask for a written treatment calendar, supportive-medicine instructions and a 24-hour oncology contact number. Baseline blood tests usually include a full blood count and kidney and liver function; additional tests depend on the medicine and your health. Before chemotherapy that reaches the whole body, the team should check for current or past hepatitis B infection. If a test is positive, extra monitoring or antiviral treatment may be needed to prevent the virus becoming active again. The team will coordinate testing and treatment; do not delay urgent cancer treatment yourself.
How treatment is given and the schedule
An infusion into a vein, commonly over about 30 minutes. Longer or different infusions are used only in defined protocols.
Often given weekly for 2 or 3 weeks followed by a rest week, with the exact pattern determined by the cancer and combination.
The dose is calculated for your treatment and health. Rest periods, delays or dose changes may be needed. Do not change doses or treatment dates yourself, except to follow specific instructions to stop a medicine and seek help for warning symptoms. The team will give you a revised plan when needed.
During an infusion, tell the nurse immediately about pain, burning, swelling or leaking around the cannula or line. Do not massage the area or apply heat or ice unless the team instructs you.
Tests and monitoring during treatment
Blood counts are checked before planned doses. Kidney and liver tests and symptoms of swelling or breathlessness are reviewed. Tell the team about recent or planned radiotherapy.
At each review, describe symptoms since the previous dose, including problems that have already settled. Blood tests can detect effects before you feel them. Your team may delay, reduce, omit or stop a medicine if results or symptoms make this necessary. The decision depends on the exact protocol; a normal result does not make new symptoms safe to ignore.
Side effects: what to expect
Frequency varies with the dose, schedule, cancer and other treatments. “Common or more frequent” is a practical grouping, not a single percentage for every patient. Some serious effects appear in more than one group because severity and frequency are different.
You are unlikely to have all of these effects. This is not an exhaustive list. Tell the team about any new or troublesome symptom, including one not mentioned here.
Common or more frequent side effects
| Possible effect | What you can do | When to contact the team |
|---|---|---|
| Low blood counts | White cells fight infection, red cells carry oxygen and platelets help clotting. Treatment can lower one or more of these. Wash hands, avoid close contact with people who are unwell and keep blood-test appointments. | Call immediately for fever, shaking chills or feeling suddenly unwell. Report unusual bruising, bleeding, marked tiredness or increasing breathlessness. Do not wait for a blood-test result before seeking help. |
| Feeling or being sick | Take preventive anti-sickness medicines at the prescribed times. Try small meals and frequent small drinks; avoid strong food smells if they worsen nausea. | Contact the team the same day if medicines are not controlling symptoms. Seek urgent advice if you cannot keep fluids down, feel faint or pass much less urine. |
| Tiredness and reduced stamina | Balance rest with short periods of gentle activity. Prioritise tasks and accept help with shopping, meals or transport. Tell the team about poor sleep or pain. | Report fatigue that prevents basic activities or is worsening. Sudden breathlessness, chest pain, fainting or confusion needs urgent assessment. |
| Flu-like feelings | Aches or chills can occur after some treatments. Rest and follow the advice on approved symptom relief. | A fever cannot safely be assumed to be a drug reaction at home. Follow the urgent temperature and infection instructions. |
| Skin changes | Use gentle cleansers, a plain moisturiser, protective clothing and broad-spectrum sunscreen. Avoid applying new herbal or medicated products without advice. | Report a new or worsening rash. Blisters, peeling skin or sores involving the mouth or eyes need urgent medical assessment. |
| Swelling or fluid retention | Record changes in swelling and weight if asked. Move regularly when comfortable and follow your prescribed fluid and salt advice. | Contact the team for increasing swelling or rapid weight gain. New breathlessness, chest pain or swelling of one painful leg needs urgent assessment. |
| Changes in liver blood tests | You may have no symptoms. Keep testing appointments and check alcohol, supplements and other medicines with the team. | Report yellow eyes or skin, dark urine, pale stools or significant upper abdominal pain urgently. |
Other reported side effects (frequency varies)
These effects may be common in some treatment settings, less common in others, or have no reliable frequency estimate. Their position here does not mean they are necessarily less frequent or less serious.
Mouth soreness, diarrhoea, constipation, appetite changes and hair thinning can occur. Breathlessness should not be assumed to be a harmless flu-like effect.
Report these at review, or sooner if worsening. Use the urgent guidance for symptoms that affect breathing, drinking, urination, walking, consciousness or bleeding.
Important serious side effects, including rare effects
Serious does not always mean rare. Where reliable incidence is unavailable, no numerical frequency is assigned. The action to take matters even when the likelihood is uncertain.
A rare blood-vessel and kidney complication
Thrombotic microangiopathy, including haemolytic uraemic syndrome, can damage blood cells and kidneys. New swelling, reduced urine, unusual bruising, marked tiredness or breathlessness needs urgent assessment and blood tests.
Inflammation or injury in the lungs
A new cough, breathlessness, chest discomfort or falling exercise tolerance needs urgent oncology contact. Severe or rapidly worsening breathing difficulty is an emergency. Infection and other causes must also be considered.
Capillary leak syndrome
Rarely, fluid escapes from small blood vessels and causes rapid swelling, low blood pressure and breathing problems. Sudden swelling with faintness or breathlessness needs emergency assessment.
Severe skin reaction
A spreading painful rash, blisters, peeling skin, or sores in the mouth, eyes or genital area needs urgent medical assessment. Severe reactions may require treatment to be stopped by the team.
Practical advice for this treatment
Mild aches or flu-like feelings can follow an infusion, but fever during chemotherapy still requires the fever-contact plan. Tell the team about sudden swelling, breathlessness, dark urine or noticeably less urine.
Medicines, interactions and vaccinations
Give the oncology pharmacist a complete list of prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins, herbal and Ayurvedic remedies and supplements. Ask before starting anything new. Do not stop prescribed medicines, including anticoagulants or infection-prevention medicines, without a coordinated plan. Live vaccines are generally unsuitable while immunity is suppressed; discuss vaccine type and timing with the team. Non-live vaccines may be offered, although protection can be reduced. Follow any specific stop-and-call instructions for the cancer medicine on this page or in your written treatment plan.
Radiotherapy timing matters because gemcitabine can increase radiation-related injury. Other medicines that suppress blood counts or affect kidney function need review.
Pregnancy, fertility and breastfeeding
Chemotherapy can harm a developing baby and may affect fertility temporarily or permanently. Discuss sperm, egg or embryo storage before treatment when feasible. If you could become pregnant, or your partner could become pregnant, use effective contraception during treatment and for the drug-specific period afterwards. Ask for a written end date based on every medicine in your plan: the required period differs by product and can extend for months. Periods stopping does not guarantee infertility. Tell the team immediately about a suspected pregnancy. Do not breastfeed during treatment; restart only after the team confirms the interval for the exact medicine and formulation.
Everyday life
Gentle activity, regular meals and rest can help you cope. Prepare food hygienically and drink according to your individual fluid plan. Avoid smoking; ask whether alcohol is safe with your exact treatment and other medicines. Plan work, travel and driving around symptoms and monitoring visits. Do not drive if dizzy, sleepy, weak, visually affected or impaired by neuropathy. You can usually be close to family and friends: chemotherapy does not make you radioactive. Follow the unit’s instructions for handling urine, vomit, laundry and sexual precautions for the period it specifies.
When to contact the oncology team
Contact the oncology team the same day for persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, difficulty drinking, reduced urine, mouth pain affecting eating, new cough, jaundice, a painful or spreading rash, unusual bruising, worsening constipation or new nerve symptoms. Use the more urgent instructions for the particular symptom when given above. If the team cannot be reached and you are unwell, seek urgent medical care.
Write down your hospital’s daytime and out-of-hours numbers before treatment. CTI’s general contact details do not replace the emergency number provided by your treating hospital.
After treatment
Keep the planned blood tests and follow-up appointments after the last dose. Blood counts and immunity may take time to recover, and some effects can start or persist later. Contact the team about symptoms rather than waiting for a routine visit. Keep a treatment summary, including drug names, dates and any serious reactions, for future doctors. Response may be assessed with examination, scans or blood or marrow tests, depending on the cancer.
Frequently asked questions
Is a temperature after gemcitabine just a drug reaction?
It can be a reaction, but infection cannot be excluded at home. Follow the urgent temperature instructions.
Why might a weekly dose be missed?
Blood counts or other side effects may make a rest safer. The team decides whether to delay, omit or reduce that dose.
Will I get every side effect listed?
No. Many people have only some of them. Your dose, other medicines, health and previous treatment all affect risk. Reporting symptoms early often makes them easier to manage.
Does having few side effects mean treatment is not working?
No. Side effects do not reliably show how well cancer treatment is working. The team assesses response using the appropriate tests.
Can a dose be reduced or delayed?
Yes. Blood counts, organ function or side effects may require a delay, reduction, omission or change. The team balances safety with the treatment aim; do not change doses yourself. Follow the specific instructions to stop a medicine and seek help if a warning symptom occurs.
Can I take vitamins, herbal or Ayurvedic products?
Check every product with the oncology pharmacist first. “Natural” does not mean interaction-free, and some products can affect the liver, bleeding or drug levels.
What should I have ready at home?
A thermometer, the 24-hour oncology number, a treatment calendar, your medicine list and prescribed symptom medicines. Arrange help with transport or meals if needed.
When should I call instead of waiting for the next appointment?
Use the urgent-help instructions on this page. Fever, sudden illness, uncontrolled symptoms or difficulty drinking should not wait until the next treatment visit.
Related combination guides
Sources and further reading
Summary of Product Characteristics
Product-specific details vary by formulation and treatment protocol.
Professional reference resources. These describe the specific product, warnings, interactions, monitoring and adverse effects. For US substitutes, the document is prescribing information rather than an SmPC. Check the product actually dispensed in India.
- Gemcitabine 10 mg/ml — Sun Pharmaceutical. Accessed 16 October 2026. Current company-supplied/regulatory product information; not asserted to be the originator brand.
Other authoritative references
- Cancer Research UK — Gemcitabine. Accessed 16 October 2026.
- NCI — infection and neutropenia. Accessed 16 October 2026.
- NCI — mouth and throat problems. Accessed 16 October 2026.
- NCI — diarrhoea. Accessed 16 October 2026.
- NCI — fatigue. Accessed 16 October 2026.
- BC Cancer — Gemcitabine Monograph. Accessed 16 October 2026. Independent cross-check: USES; SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS; SIDE EFFECTS; INTERACTIONS; DOSAGE GUIDELINES.
- ASCO hepatitis B screening and management opinion. Accessed 16 October 2026. Independent cross-check: Provisional Clinical Opinion: universal three-test screening before or at systemic anticancer therapy; chronic/past infection management.
Editorially approved by Dr (Prof) Vijay Agarwal
Professor and Lead Consultant – Medical Oncology
