Definition

A drug that comes from the bacterium Streptomyces verticillus and is used alone or with other drugs to treat many types of cancer, including Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, testicular cancer, malignant pleural effusion, and squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix, head and neck, penis, and vulva. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Bleomycin sulfate damages the cell’s DNA and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of antineoplastic antibiotic. Bleomycin is the active ingredient of bleomycin sulfate.