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mercaptopurine

(mer-KAP-toh-PYOOR-een)
A drug used with other drugs to treat adults and children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. Mercaptopurine stops cells from making DNA and may kill cancer cells. It is a type of antimetabolite. Also called Purinethol and Purixan.
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Search NCI's Dictionary of Cancer Terms