MVP

MVP is the name of a chemotherapy drug combination usually used to treat non small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lungs or abdomen). MVP is made up of the drugs

• M = Mitomycin
• V = Vinblastine
• P = Platinum (cisplatin is the proper name for this drug)

You can click on the links to find out about the side effects of each individual drug.

There are a number of combinations of drugs for people with lung cancer and mesothelioma. MVP is just one type of treatment. Your doctor will decide which combination is best to treat the type of lung cancer or type of mesothelioma you have and the stage of your lung cancer or stage of your mesothelioma.

There is more information on CancerHelp UK in our chemotherapy for lung cancer and chemotherapy for mesothelioma sections.

You usually have chemotherapy as cycles of treatment. You have MVP every 3 weeks. You have the drugs on the first day. Then there is a 3 week gap before the treatment is repeated. This is one cycle. Some doctors give mitomycin on alternate cycles because it can lower your white blood cell count. The number of treatment cycles you have depends on whether your cancer has spread and how well your cancer responds to the drugs.

You have the drug injections into a vein, or through a drip (intravenously). There are a few ways of doing this. You may have a thin, short tube (cannula) put into a vein in your arm on the day of each treatment. Or you may have them through a central line, a portacath, or a PICC line. These are long, plastic tubes that give the drugs directly into a large vein in your chest. You have the tube put in just before your course of treatment starts and it stays in place as long as you need it.

The side effects of a combination of drugs are usually a mixture of the side effects of each drug. You may get one or two or a few of the effects. The combination of drugs may increase or decrease your chance of getting each side effect. Or it may change the severity. We have listed the side effects associated with MVP below. Use the links to find out more about each effect. Where there is no link please see our cancer drugs side effects section or or use the search box at the top of the page.

More than 10 in every 100 people have one or more of the side effects listed below.

Temporary drop in the number of blood cells made by the bone marrow, causing

• Increased risk of getting an infection from a drop in white blood cells – it is harder to fight infections and you can become very ill. You may have headaches, aching muscles, a cough, sore throat, pain passing urine or feel cold and shivery
• Tiredness and breathlessness due to a drop in red blood cells (anaemia) – you may need a blood transfusion
• Bruising more easily due to a drop in platelets – you may have nosebleeds, bleeding gums after brushing your teeth, or lots of tiny red spots or bruises on your arms or legs (known as petechia)

Some of these side effects can be life threatening, particularly infections. You should contact your doctor if you have any of these side effects. Your doctor will check your blood counts regularly to see how well your bone marrow is working.

Other common side effects include

• Fatigue (tiredness) during and after treatment – most people find their energy levels are back to normal within 6 months to a year
• Feeling or being sick – about half the people who have MVP will feel sick at some point, even with anti sickness medicines. Sickness usually starts a few hours after each treatment and may last for up to a week. If your sickness is not controlled, tell your doctor or nurse – other anti sickness drugs may work better for you
• A sore mouth or mouth ulcers
• Kidney changes that are mild and unlikely to cause symptoms may occur – they will almost certainly go back to normal when treatment is finished, but you will have regular blood tests to check how well your kidneys are working. To help prevent damage you need to drink plenty of water and will have fluids into your vein before and after your treatment
• Hair loss or hair thinning 
• Loss of fertility – we don’t know exactly how this drug affects fertility so do talk with your doctor before starting treatment if having a baby is important to you
• Women may stop having periods (amenorrhoea) – this may be temporary
• MVP may have a harmful effect on a developing baby – do talk to your doctor about contraception before having treatment if there is any chance that you or your partner could become pregnant
• Cisplatin can cause ear problems – you may not be able to hear some high pitched sounds but this usually gets better on its own

Between 1 and 10 in every 100 people have one or more of these.

• Numbness or tingling in fingers and toes can cause difficulty with fiddly things such as doing up buttons – this starts within a few days or weeks and usually goes within a few months of finishing treatment
• Cisplatin may cause ringing in the ears (tinnitus), which nearly always gets better on its own
• A metallic taste or a loss of taste
• You may lose your appetite for a few days after treatment
• Inflammation around the drip site – if you notice any signs of redness, swelling or leaking at your drip site, tell your chemotherapy nurse immediately
• Constipation can be a problem when taking vinblastine – your doctor or nurse may give you laxatives to help prevent this but do tell them if you are constipated for more than 3 days
• Coughing or breathlessness – tell your doctor if you have this
• Liver changes that are very mild and unlikely to cause symptoms – the liver will almost certainly go back to normal when treatment is finished, but you will have regular blood tests to check how well your liver is working
• A skin rash, which may itch
• Your nails may become darker 
• Allergic reactions can happen while cisplatin is going into your bloodstream, usually at the first or second treatment – let your treatment team know immediately if you have any skin rashes, itching, feeling hot, shivering, going red in the face, feeling dizzy, headache, shortness of breath, anxiety or a sudden need to pass urine
• Sensitivity to sunlight – you may be more sensitive to the sun so don’t sit out in the sun, and cover up or use a sun block

Fewer than 1 in 100 people have these.

• Depression
• Headache
• Jaw pain
• High blood pressure
• Faster heart rate
• Difficulty emptying the bladder
• Dizziness and changes in eyesight
• Very occasionally, someone has an allergic reaction to vinblastine – tell your doctor or nurse straight away if you have any of the signs of an allergic reaction (see above)

The side effects above may be mild or more severe. A side effect may get better or worse through your course of treatment, or more side effects may develop as the course goes on. This depends on

• How many times you've had the drug before
• Your general health
• The amount of the drug you have (the dose)
• Other drugs you are having

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse about all your side effects so that they can help you manage them. Your chemotherapy nurse, clinic or ward nurse will give you a contact number. You can ring if you have any questions or problems. They can give you advice or reassure you. If in doubt, call them.

Tell your doctor about any other medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbal supplements and other over the counter remedies - some drugs can react together.

You should not have immunisations with live vaccines while you are having chemotherapy or for at least 6 months afterwards. In the UK, these include rubella, mumps, measles (usually given together as MMR), BCG and yellow fever. You can have other vaccines, but they may not give you as much protection as usual until your immune system has fully recovered from your chemotherapy.

It is safe for you to be in contact with other people who've had live vaccines as injections. There can be problems with oral vaccines, but not many people in the UK have oral vaccines now. So there is usually no problem in being with any baby or child who has recently had any vaccination in the UK. You might need to make sure that you aren't in contact with anyone who has had oral polio, cholera or typhoid vaccination recently, particularly if you live abroad.