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At a glance
- Treatment
- Ifosfamide; injectable chemotherapy
- Used in selected settings
- Sarcoma, germ-cell tumours, lymphoma and selected other cancers
- How it is given
- An infusion into a vein, together with mesna and carefully prescribed fluids. Treatment may require admission or a closely supervised ambulatory pump service.
- 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 alkylating medicine that damages DNA (the genetic instructions inside cells) after it is activated in the body.
When it may be used
Your team may use this treatment in the following settings: Sarcoma, germ-cell tumours, lymphoma and selected other 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, together with mesna and carefully prescribed fluids. Treatment may require admission or a closely supervised ambulatory pump service.
Often given over several days in a cycle, commonly repeated every 3 weeks. Some regimens use a longer continuous infusion.
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, kidney function, blood salts, urine and fluid balance are monitored. Nurses also check alertness, behaviour and coordination because ifosfamide can affect brain function.
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. |
| Hair thinning or hair loss | Use gentle hair care and protect the scalp from sun and cold. Ask early about wigs, head coverings and whether scalp cooling is suitable for your particular treatment. | Tell the team about a painful or inflamed scalp. Hair often regrows after treatment, but the timing, texture and completeness of regrowth vary. |
| 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. |
| Bladder irritation | Follow fluid instructions, empty your bladder regularly and take mesna exactly as prescribed if it is part of your treatment. | Report burning, blood in the urine, clots or difficulty passing urine immediately. |
| Kidney-function or blood-salt changes | These may first appear on blood tests. Follow the drinking plan agreed with your team and avoid adding medicines that may affect the kidneys. | Report reduced urine, new swelling, cramps or marked weakness. Very little urine, persistent vomiting or confusion needs urgent assessment. |
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, appetite changes, liver-test abnormalities and changes in blood salts may occur. Effects on alertness or behaviour are an important recognised risk; their frequency varies. See the urgent brain-function warning below.
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.
Ifosfamide-related brain effects (encephalopathy)
Confusion, unusual sleepiness, agitation, hallucinations, poor coordination or seizures can develop during or soon after treatment. A caregiver should alert the team immediately. Severe drowsiness, seizure or reduced consciousness is an emergency.
Bleeding or injury in the bladder
Blood or clots in urine, painful urination or inability to pass urine needs immediate oncology contact. Mesna and hydration reduce risk when prescribed but do not make these symptoms safe to ignore.
Significant kidney injury
Very little urine, persistent vomiting, worsening swelling or marked weakness needs urgent assessment. Kidney problems may first be detected on blood tests, which is why monitoring continues even when you feel well.
Heart injury or abnormal rhythm
Cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide can sometimes injure the heart, particularly with high-dose treatment or other risk factors. Report new breathlessness, ankle swelling, difficulty breathing when lying flat or palpitations promptly. Chest pain, severe breathlessness or collapse needs emergency assessment.
A later second cancer
Some chemotherapy medicines can increase the risk of another cancer, including a blood cancer, years later. This is considered when balancing treatment benefits and risks. Keep follow-up appointments and report persistent unexplained symptoms.
Practical advice for this treatment
Take every mesna dose on time, including doses after the infusion ends. If you vomit an oral mesna dose or cannot take it, contact the unit immediately. A caregiver should know to report unusual sleepiness, confusion, hallucinations or a change in behaviour.
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.
Sleeping tablets, strong pain medicines and other sedating drugs can complicate neurological assessment. Medicines affecting liver enzymes or the kidneys also need checking; do not stop prescribed medicines without a coordinated plan.
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
Does mesna protect against every side effect?
No. It reduces bladder injury, but does not prevent kidney damage, low blood counts or effects on the brain.
What if I become unusually sleepy or confused?
This needs urgent assessment. Ask someone to contact the oncology team immediately; do not drive yourself.
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.
- Ifosfamide — Baxter. Accessed 16 October 2026. Current company-supplied/regulatory product information; not asserted to be the originator brand.
Other authoritative references
- Cancer Research UK — Ifosfamide. 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 — Ifosfamide 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
