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International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) - Summaries & Evaluations

PHENOBARBITAL and PHENOBARBITAL SODIUM

VOL.: 13 (1977) (p. 157)

Phenobarbital:
CAS No.: 50-06-6
Chem. Abstr. Name: 5-Ethyl-5-phenyl-2,4,6-(1H,3H,5H)pyrimidinetrione

Phenobarbital sodium:
CAS No.: 57-30-7
Chem. Abstr. Name: 5-Ethyl-5-phenyl-2,4,6-(1H,3H,5H)pyrimidinetrione, monosodium salt

5. Summary of Data Reported and Evaluation

5.1 Animal data

Phenobarbital sodium is carcinogenic in mice and rats after its oral administration for lifetime. In mice, it produced benign and malignant liver-cell tumours; in rats, benign liver-cell tumours were observed very late in life.

5.2 Human data

A possible relationship between anticonvulsant therapy in which phenobarbital was known to be included and the occurrence of cancer in man has been investigated in one large epidemiological study and reported in several case studies. In most instances, phenobarbital was given in conjunction with other drugs, in particular phenytoin. The available evidence is insufficient to allow an evaluation of the carcinogenicity of phenobarbital to be made (see also monograph on phenytoin).

Subsequent evaluations: Suppl. 7 (1987); Vol. 79 (2001)

Synonyms for Phenobarbital

Synonyms for Phenobarbital sodium


Last updated: 25 March 1998




























    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations
       Phenobarbital  (IARC Summary & Evaluation, Supplement7, 1987)
       Phenobarbital  (IARC Summary & Evaluation, Volume 79, 2001)