Cancer drugs A to Z list
Bendamustine is a chemotherapy drug. You pronounce bendamustine as ben-dah-mus-teen.
It is a treatment for:
non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Hodgkin lymphoma
chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
You might have bendamustine:
with other cancer drugs
as part of a
before you have
Go to the A to Z list of cancer types
Bendamustine is a type of chemotherapy drug called an .
These drugs work by interfering with the in cancer cells. The cells can’t divide into 2 new cells so the cancer can’t grow.
You have bendamustine as a drip into your bloodstream (intravenously).
You might have treatment through a long plastic tube that goes into a large vein in your chest. The tube stays in place throughout the course of treatment. This can be a:
central line
PICC line
portacath
You might have treatment through a thin short tube (a cannula) that goes into a vein in your arm. You have a new cannula each time you have treatment.
Find out more about having bendamustine intravenously
You have bendamustine as a course of several . Each treatment of bendamustine takes between 30 and 60 minutes.
How often you have it and for how long depends on what type of cancer you have. Your doctor or nurse will tell you more about this.
You have blood tests before and during your treatment. They check your levels of and other substances in the blood. They also check how well your liver and kidneys are working.
Before treatment starts you may have a blood test to check for viruses such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV. This is called a viral screen.
It’s important for your doctor to know if you have had any of these viruses. This is because this treatment can weaken your and can cause the virus to become active again (reactivation).
Side effects can vary from person to person. They also depend on what other treatments you're having.
Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will go through the possible side effects. They will monitor you during treatment and check how you are at your appointments. Contact your advice line as soon as possible if:
you have severe side effects
your side effects aren’t getting any better
your side effects are getting worse
Early treatment can help manage side effects better.
We haven't listed all the side effects here. Talk to your healthcare team if you have any new symptoms that you think might be a side effect of your treatment.
Remember it is very unlikely that you will have all of these side effects. But you might have some of them at the same time.
These side effects happen in more than 10 in 100 people (more than 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
Increased risk of getting an infection is due to a drop in . Symptoms include a change in temperature, aching muscles, cough, headaches, feeling cold and shivery, pain or a burning feeling when peeing or generally feeling unwell. You might have other symptoms depending on where the infection is.
Infections can sometimes be life threatening. You should contact your advice line urgently if you think you have an infection.
Bendamustine can cause a previous infection to flare up if you have had it in the past. This is called hepatitis B reactivation.
This is due to a drop in the number of platelets in your blood. These blood cells help the blood to clot when we cut ourselves. You may have nosebleeds or bleeding gums after brushing your teeth. Or you may have lots of tiny red spots or bruises on your arms or legs. This is known as petechiae.
You might have bleeding from other parts of the body. Symptoms can include blood in your poo, pee or sick. You may also cough up blood but it is not known how often this happens. Let your healthcare team know if you have any bleeding.
You might be breathless and look pale due to a drop in . This is called anaemia.
Feeling or being sick is usually well controlled with anti sickness medicines. It might help to avoid fatty or fried foods, eat small meals and snacks and take regular sips of water. Relaxation techniques might also help.
It is important to take anti sickness medicines as prescribed even if you don’t feel sick. It is easier to prevent sickness rather than treat it once it has started.
Tiredness and weakness (fatigue) can happen during and after treatment. Doing gentle exercises each day can keep your energy up. Don't push yourself, rest when you start to feel tired and ask others for help.
This treatment may cause of the . This can cause pain, discomfort, sores (ulcers), bleeding, feeling or being sick and diarrhoea.
It might include one or all of the following:
the throat
food pipe (oesophagitis)
the tummy (stomach)
the back passage (rectum)
You can have painkillers to reduce the soreness. Take them half an hour before meals to make eating easier. Your nurse, doctor or dietician will explain the best foods to have if you have any of these symptoms.
Tell your healthcare team if you keep getting headaches. They can give you painkillers to help.
You might have kidney changes that are usually mild and unlikely to cause symptoms. They usually go back to normal when treatment finishes.
Let your healthcare team know you’re not peeing enough, your breathless, feel tired and weak, feel confused, feel sick and you have swelling to your legs, ankles and feet.
You have regular blood tests to check for any changes in the way your kidneys are working.
These side effects happen in between 1 and 10 out of every 100 people (between 1 and 10%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
hair loss or thinning
difficulty staying or getting to sleep (insomnia)
heart changes – symptoms can include , chest pain and heart rhythm changes. Rarely symptoms can include shortness of breath, a crushing and squeezing pain in the chest that might spread to your arms, neck or jaw. You may have sweating, a cough, feeling faint or lightheaded, feel or be sick and have heartburn
changes in your blood pressure - symptoms can include blurred vision, nosebleeds, dizziness, headaches, shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheaded or fainting
diarrhoea
constipation
changes to how well the liver works - let your healthcare team know if you have yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes, your feeling or being sick, your bleeding or bruising easily, your pee is dark and you have stomach pain
an allergic reaction that can cause a rash, shortness of breath, redness or swelling of the face and dizziness. Some allergic reactions can be life threatening, alert your nurse or doctor if notice any of these symptoms
loss of appetite
changes to your lung tissue causing difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and a cough. Rarely this can be due to scarring. In some cases this could be due to inflammation of the lungs, but it is not known how often this happens
feeling dizzy
shivering or shaking (chills)
a lack of fluid in the body (dehydration)
high levels of chemicals in your blood due to the breakdown of tumour cells. This called tumour lysis syndrome. You have regular blood tests to check for this
a sore mouth and ulcers
pain in different parts of the body
low levels of potassium in the blood – you have blood tests to check this
skin problems including a skin rash that is raised and itchy. Other more rare skin changes including inflammation, reddening or darkening of the skin. It is important to let your healthcare team know of any skin changes
missing your periods (amenorrhea)
These side effects happen in fewer than 1 in 100 people (less than 1%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
a serious reaction to an infection (sepsis). Signs can include feeling unwell, not peeing, being sick, a very high or low temperature or shivering. Contact your advice line straight away if you have any of these symptoms
a second blood cancer such as acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Talk to your doctor if this is a concern for you
sleepiness or feeling drowsy – do not drive or operate machinery
loss of voice (aphonia)
taste changes
sensation changes – symptoms can include numbness, tingling and pain in your hands and feet. You might have a burning, stabbing or shooting pain
problems with balance and body movements (ataxia)
a condition when bendamustine blocks a specific receptor in the nervous system – symptoms can include a dry mouth, dry skin, flushing of the skin, a high temperature, blurred vision, feeling anxious, agitated and you may see, hear, smell or taste things that aren’t there (hallucinate)
inflammation of the brain – symptoms can include confusion, disorientated, seizures (fits), personality changes, behaviour changes, difficulty speaking, weakness or unable to move parts of the body
sweating more than usually
There isn't enough information to work out how often these side effects might happen. You might have one or more of them. They include:
a severe skin reaction that may start as tender patches. Depending on your skin tone this may look red, brown, grey, blue, purple or darker than your normal skin. This can lead to peeling or blistering of the skin. You might also feel feverish and your eyes may be more sensitive to light. This is serious and could be life threatening
a very rare infection called progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). It affects the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms include changes in behaviour and personality, clumsiness, feeling weak, difficulty moving, eyesight changes and memory problems
feeling thirsty all the time and peeing a lot (diabetes insipidus)
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
Cancer drugs can interact with medicines, herbal products, and some food and drinks. We do not list these interactions on this page. An example is grapefruit or grapefruit juice which can increase the side effects of certain drugs.
Tell your healthcare team about any medicines you are taking. This includes vitamins, herbal supplements and over the counter remedies. Also let them know if you have any other medical conditions or allergies.
After having this treatment you should only have blood or that are first treated with radiation (irradiated). The radiation lowers the risk of a reaction between your blood cells and the cells in the transfusion. No harm comes from the irradiated blood.
In your medical records there is a note saying you should only have irradiated blood. You have a card to carry with this information. This is in case you need treatment at another hospital.
This drug may harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to become pregnant or get someone pregnant while you are having treatment.
Men should not get someone pregnant for at least 6 months after treatment.
Woman must not become pregnant whilst having this treatment, but it is unknown for how long for after the end of treatment.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception before starting treatment. Let them know straight away if you or your partner becomes pregnant while having treatment.
You may not be able to become pregnant or get someone pregnant after treatment with this drug. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
Men might be able to store sperm before starting treatment. And women might be able to store eggs or ovarian tissue. But these services are not available in every hospital, so you would need to ask your doctor about this.
It is not known whether this drug comes through into the breast milk. Doctors usually advise that you don’t breastfeed during this treatment.
If you are having tests or treatment for anything else, always mention your cancer treatment. For example, if you are visiting your dentist.
Do not have live vaccines while you’re having treatment and for up to 12 months afterwards. For some people, it may be longer than this. The length of time you need to avoid live vaccines depends on the treatment you’ve had.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should avoid live vaccinations.
In the UK, live vaccines include rubella, mumps, measles, chickenpox, BCG, and yellow fever. You can usually have non-live vaccines. But they might not give you as much protection as usual. These include the:
flu vaccine, as an injection
coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the best time to have a vaccine in relation to your cancer treatment.
You can be in contact with other people who have had live vaccines as injections. If someone has had a live vaccine by mouth or nasal spray there may be a small risk the vaccine virus can be passed onto you if your is weakened.
Your healthcare team will let you know if you need to take any precautions if you are in close contact with someone who has had a live vaccine.
For further information about this treatment and possible side effects go to the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website. You can find the patient information leaflet on this website.
You can report any side effect you have to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) as part of their Yellow Card Scheme.
Last reviewed: 05 Nov 2026
Next review due: 05 Nov 2029
Chemotherapy is a standard treatment for some types of cancer. It uses anti cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells.
Cancer drugs have side effects and these can vary from person to person. But there are things that you can do to help you cope.
We have specific treatment information for each cancer type. Choose the cancer type you want to find out about the treatment from this A-Z list of treatments by cancer type.
Coping with cancer can be difficult. There is help and support available. Find out about the emotional, physical and practical effects of cancer and how to manage them.
