Definition

Noun: 1. A chemotherapy medication derived from the Madagascar periwinkle plant: Vinblastine is an alkaloid used as an antineoplastic (anti-cancer) drug. It works by inhibiting cell division, specifically by preventing the formation of microtubules necessary for mitosis.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The oncologist prescribed a course of vinblastine to treat the patient's Hodgkin's lymphoma.
  • Vinblastine is often administered intravenously in a clinical setting.
  • A common side effect of vinblastine is a decrease in white blood cell count.

Advanced Usage

• "Vinblastine sulfate": This is the salt form of the drug commonly used in pharmaceutical preparations.
  • The medication vial contained vinblastine sulfate for injection.

Variants and Related Words

• Vinca alkaloid (n): The class of chemotherapy drugs to which vinblastine belongs, all derived from the periwinkle plant (). Other members include vincristine.
  • Vinblastine and vincristine are both vinca alkaloids.

Synonyms

• Antimitotic agent: A drug that inhibits cell division (mitosis).
• Cytotoxic drug: A substance that is toxic to cells, used to kill cancer cells.

Notes on Meaning

Vinblastine is specifically known by the trade name Velban. It is primarily used to treat cancers such as Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, testicular cancer, breast cancer, and Kaposi's sarcoma. Its mechanism of action—disrupting the microtubules of the mitotic spindle—stops cancer cells from dividing and proliferating.

Noun

1. periwinkle plant derivative used as an antineoplastic drug (trade name Velban) that disrupts cell division