No, Velcade isn’t a type of chemotherapy or immunotherapy drug. It is a type of targeted therapy used for certain types of blood cancer.
Velcade is used in adults to treat multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma.
It contains the active drug bortezomib, which belongs to a drug class called proteasome inhibitors. It is not a chemotherapy or immunotherapy drug.
Learn more about chemotherapy and immunotherapy and how Velcade works.
Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment. It works by destroying all cells in your body that are rapidly multiplying. (Cells that multiply are making more cells.) Cancer cells multiply quickly, so chemotherapy affects them. But chemotherapy can also destroy healthy cells in your body that are rapidly multiplying.
Immunotherapy involves activating the immune system to help treat some conditions, including certain types of cancer. When activated, the immune system may also affect healthy cells in the body.
Side effects comparison
Velcade may affect fewer healthy cells in your body than chemotherapy does. This could mean that Velcade causes fewer side effects. Because immunotherapy and Velcade work differently, it’s unclear whether Velcade might cause fewer side effects than immunotherapy drugs.
If you have questions about the side effects of Velcade, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Velcade works by blocking the action of proteins called proteasomes. (These proteins are found in certain cancer cells.) By inhibiting the proteins, Velcade disrupts how certain cells work. This disruption can lead to cell death, which can help stop cancer growth in your body.
Your doctor may order certain tests, such as blood tests, to help monitor your treatment progress. And they’ll let you know how your cancer is responding to Velcade.
Velcade is a targeted therapy used to treat certain types of blood cancer, such as multiple myeloma. It is not a chemotherapy or immunotherapy drug.
Velcade may cause fewer side effects than chemotherapy drugs. It is unclear if it causes fewer side effects than immunotherapy drugs.
This drug works by blocking a certain protein that disrupts how certain cells work.
If you have questions about Velcade, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
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