Raw research findings for this medication. Mostly single studies, not curated or confirmed robust.
Bleomycin is an antitumour antibiotic, first isolated from Streptomyces bacteria, that breaks DNA strands with the help of iron and oxygen. It is used in combination chemotherapy for testicular cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma and some squamous cell cancers. Its most serious side effect is lung scarring. It is sold as Blenoxane, among other names.
Bleomycin is inactivated by the enzyme bleomycin hydrolase (BLMH), which the lungs and skin have little of, partly explaining why those organs are affected. Studies, mostly in testicular cancer treated with several medicines at once, have looked at BLMH, DNA repair genes (ERCC1, ERCC2) and glutathione transferases (GSTP1, GSTM1) for lung and other side effects. The findings come from a few studies, and there is no CPIC or DPWG guideline.
Every published finding on gene variants and Bleomycin. Upload your DNA file to see which of these rows apply to you.
PharmGKB weighs all studies of a variant and rates how strong the evidence is, from 1A (strongest) to 4.
BLMH rs1050565: Level 3. Toxicity: Alopecia, Pain, Testicular Neoplasms. 1.
ERCC1 rs3212986: Level 3. Toxicity: Testicular Neoplasms, Vomiting. 1.
ERCC2 rs1799793: Level 3. Toxicity: Anemia, Testicular Neoplasms. 1.
GSTP1 rs1695: Level 3. Toxicity: Infectious disease, Nausea, Testicular Neoplasms. 1.
Studies of how well it worked in people carrying a variant.
Study findings and evidence levels: PharmGKB (CC BY-SA 4.0). Guidelines: CPIC and DPWG, as bundled in PharmCAT. Most studies were done mainly in people of European ancestry.
More drugs from the same category
Cosmegen (Antitumor Antibiotics)
Not a prescribing recommendation. This page is educational information about pharmacogenomic research and clinical guidelines - it is not medical or dosing advice, and not a prediction of how any medication will work for you. Never start, stop, or change a medication or dose based on it; talk to your doctor or pharmacist, who can order clinical-grade testing if appropriate.
Content updated September 2026.
ReadYourDNA provides educational interpretation of DNA data you already have. It is not diagnostic, not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Talk to a clinician before acting on any result.
Raw DNA Data Reports for 23andMe & AncestryDNA · About ReadYourDNA · FAQ · Methodology & Science · Pricing · Support and complaints · Legal & Contact · Health Traits · Pharmacogenomics · Carrier Status · Variant Explorer · The Human Karyotype · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Accessibility · Consumer Health Data Privacy · Your Privacy Choices · Editorial Standards · Your Data, Checkable · Sample Report · ReadYourDNA and Promethease compared · What is inside a 23andMe raw data file · What is inside an AncestryDNA raw data file · What a chatbot can and cannot do with your raw DNA file · Where a raw DNA file can still be uploaded in 2026
Written, maintained and operated by Martin Pechhacker, sole proprietor, Vienna, Austria. Trade register GISA 40064420. support@readyourdna.com