(Other name for: hydroxyurea) OR A drug used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) that has not gotten better with other treatment. It is also used with radiation therapy and other anticancer drugs to treat certain types of head and neck cancer. It is also being studied in the treatment of other conditions and types of cancer. Hydrea stops cells from making DNA and may kill cancer cells. It may also make cancer cells easier to kill with radiation therapy. Hydrea contains the active ingredient hydroxyurea. It is a type of antimetabolite.