Cancer drugs A to Z list
Gliadel is a wafer that contains the chemotherapy drug carmustine.
It is a treatment for some adults with a fast growing cancerous (malignant) glioma. A glioma is a type of brain tumour.
Find out more about treatment for brain tumours
Some people may have carmustine as a drip into their bloodstream (intravenously) as a treatment for brain tumours, Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
Read about having carmustine as a drip
Chemotherapy works by destroying quickly dividing cells such as cancer cells.
Gliadel wafers are small discs about the size of a 5p coin. They release the chemotherapy drug carmustine as they dissolve. This stops the cancer cells from splitting into 2 new cells and means the cancer cannot grow.
Find out how chemotherapy works
Your brain surgeon (neurosurgeon) puts the wafers in during an operation to remove some or all of the brain tumour. They put up to 8 wafers in the space where the tumour was. Over the next few weeks, the wafers slowly dissolve and release carmustine into the area.
Read more about surgery for brain tumours
You might have blood tests before starting treatment and during your treatment. They check your general health and might check your levels of blood cells and other substances in the blood.
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.
Surgery and Gliadel can both cause side effects. Because you have them at the same time, it can be difficult to know which is causing any side effects you get.
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 white blood cells. 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.
Occasionally you might get a bladder infection (UTI). You might find it difficult to pee. Or need to pee urgently or more often. There may be pain or burning when you go. And you may see blood in your urine, or your urine might smell bad or look cloudy.
Contact your healthcare advice line or tell your doctor or nurse if you have symptoms of a bladder infection.
Tell your doctor if you have any fits, twitching or jerking of your limbs.
Rarely you might have fits causing loss of consciousness and stiffness (grand mal seizures).
This can happen after brain surgery and is temporary. Gliadel can cause brain swelling as well. It can also cause confusion and drowsiness.
Gliadel can cause wounds to heal more slowly than usual. This means it might take longer for the wound from your operation to heal. Or the wound might start to open up a few days after surgery. You might also get fluid leaking from the wound.
Your doctor or nurse will check your wound regularly to make sure it is healing well. If the wound is sore, swollen, red or leaking fluid, tell your doctor or nurse. Or contact your health advice line straight away if you are at home.
You might find you have a problem with how you speak, how you understand speech and your ability to read and write. Let your doctor or nurse know if you do.
You or the people around you may notice that you feel confused. Tell your doctor or nurse if this happens.
You might have some mood changes while having this drug. Let your doctor or nurse know if you feel anxious or depressed.
You might have weakness or loss of movement on one side of your body. This could affect the way you walk or talk. Tell your doctor or nurse straight away of you get this or contact your advice line.
Your veins might become inflamed which can affect how well your blood goes around your body. This can cause a blood clot to form.
Blood clots can be life threatening; signs are pain, redness and swelling where the clot is. Feeling breathless can be a sign of a blood clot in the lung.
This is usually mild but sometimes can be severe. You can do things to help yourself, including some gentle exercise. It’s important not to push yourself too hard and eat a well balanced diet. Talk to your doctor or nurse if this effect is stopping you from doing your usual daily activities.
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.
is easier to sort out if you treat it early. Drink plenty and eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you can. Try to take gentle exercise, such as walking. Tell your healthcare team if you think you are constipated. They can give you a laxative if needed.
You could lose all your hair. This includes your eyelashes, eyebrows, underarms, legs and sometimes pubic hair. Your hair will usually grow back once treatment has finished but it is likely to be softer. It may grow back a different colour or be curlier than before.
Skin problems include a skin rash, dry skin and itching. This usually goes back to normal when your treatment finishes. Your healthcare team can tell you what products you can use on your skin to help.
Your condition could become worse.
Tell your healthcare team if you keep getting headaches. They can find out the cause and may give you painkillers to help.
This treatment can cause pain. This might be in your muscles, bones or elsewhere in your body. Let your doctor or nurse know if you have it so that they can give you painkillers. Occasionally it may cause pain in your tummy (abdomen), back or chest.
This drug may make you feel drowsy or sleepy. Occasionally it may make you feel dizzy. Doctors recommend that you do not drive after treatment with Gliadel.
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:
inflammation of the lining of the brain and (meningitis) or a collection of pus (abscess) in the brain - symptoms might include fever, headaches, neck pain or stiffness, feeling or being sick or sensitivity to light
a drop in the number of in your blood
- tell your doctor if you feel thirsty all the time, are peeing more than usual, losing weight or feel tired
low or high blood pressure
swelling of your arms and legs
increased pressure in your head caused by an abnormal build up of fluid
not being able to move your face (paralysis)
nerve changes including pain, a decrease in the sense of touch, and tingling or prickling feelings (pins and needles)
difficulty sleeping or getting to sleep
a drop in blood cells causing tiredness, looking pale, breathlessness and an increased risk of bleeding
an increased number of
eye problems including pain, blurred, double or abnormal vision and swelling of the lining of the eyelids
diarrhoea
difficulty controlling your bladder and bowels
a low amount of sodium and potassium in your blood
white patches in the mouth or a sore, red mouth (oral thrush)
hallucinations, loss of memory, personality changes or changes to the way you think
bleeding
accidently hurting yourself
These side effects happen in fewer than 1 in 100 people (fewer than 1%). You might have one or more of them. They include:
bleeding in the brain
narrowing or blocking of the blood vessels in the brain
a collection of air in the brain or spinal cord – most people don’t get symptoms, but if they do, they can include feeling or being sick, memory problems, headaches and fluid leaking from the nose or ears
We have more information about side effects and tips on how to cope with them.
Read more about how to cope with side effects
Cancer drugs can interact with medicines, herbal products, and some food and drinks. We are unable to list all the possible interactions that may happen. 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 about any other medical conditions or allergies you may have.
It is not known whether this treatment affects in people. Talk to your doctor before starting treatment if you think you may want to have a baby in the future.
This treatment may harm a baby developing in the womb. It is important not to become pregnant or get someone pregnant while you are having treatment. Women should use effective contraception for at least 6 months after having Gliadel wafers put in. Men should use effective contraception for at least 3 months after having the wafers put in. Talk to your doctor or nurse about effective contraception before starting treatment. Let them know straight away if you or your partner become pregnant while having treatment.
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.
Don’t have immunisations with live vaccines while you’re having treatment and for up to 12 months afterwards. The length of time depends on the treatment you are having.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should avoid live vaccinations.
In the UK, live vaccines include rubella, mumps, measles, BCG, and yellow fever.
You can usually have:
other vaccines, but they might not give you as much protection as usual
the flu vaccine (as an injection)
the 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.
Read more about immunisations and cancer treatment
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: 17 Oct 2025
Next review due: 17 Oct 2028
Primary brain tumours are cancers that start in the brain.
Gliomas start in the glial cells and are the most common type of brain tumours. Astrocytomas, oligodendroglioma and glioblastomas are all types of glioma.
You might have surgery to remove all or part of your tumour. Or to drain a build up of fluid (hydrocephalus) on your brain.
It can take some time to recover from your brain tumour surgery. There are some immediate and long term problems. Help and support is available.
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.
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.
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