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Sunitinib
INFORMATION ABOUT SUNITINIB
Sunitinib Uses
Sunitinib is used in the treatment of kidney cancer and gastrointestinal stromal tumour.
How Sunitinib works
Sunitinib is an anti-cancer medication. It works by binding and blocking certain cell surface protein (tyrosine kinase) responsible for the propagation of cancer growth. It also restricts the growth of new blood vessels within the tumor. This is how it prevents the proliferation of malignant cancers.
Common side effects of Sunitinib
Most side effects do not require any medical attention and disappear as your body adjusts to the medicine. Consult your doctor if they persist or if you’re worried about them
Common
Nausea, Vomiting, Abdominal pain, Rash, Weakness, Fatigue, Flatulence, Cough, Breathlessness, Bleeding, Insomnia (difficulty in sleeping), Diarrhea, Constipation, Taste change, Decreased appetite, Hair loss, Decreased level of thyroid hormones, High blood pressure, Muscle pain, Back pain, Fever, Weight loss, Mucositis, Skin discoloration, Hand-foot-and-mouth disease, Change in color of hair, Decreased white blood cell count (neutrophils), Decreased white blood cell count (lymphocytes), Increased aspartate aminotransferase, Increased alanine aminotransferase, Increased lipase in the blood, Increased creatinine level in blood, Decreased in left ventricular ejection fraction, Decreased potassium level in blood, Increased sodium level in blood, Mouth pain, Tongue pain, Piles, Pain in extremity, Nasopharyngitis (inflammation of the throat and nasal passages), Increased bilirubin in the blood, Dryness in mouth
CONTENT DETAILS
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Last updated
09 Oct 2024 | 09:29 AM (UTC)
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Medicine brands for Sunitinib
Expert advice for Sunitinib
- Sunitinib is used for the treatment of thyroid cancer.
- Take it with or without food, preferably at the same time each day.
- Diarrhea may occur as a side effect. Drink plenty of fluids and inform your doctor if it doesn't stop or if you find blood in your stools.
- Use a reliable contraceptive method to prevent pregnancy while you are taking this medicine and for a month after you stop taking it.
- It may affect wound healing time. Be careful while shaving, cutting fingernails or toenails, or using sharp objects.
- Monitor your blood pressure regularly while taking this medication. Inform your doctor if you notice symptoms of very high blood pressure such as severe headache, confusion, problems with your eyesight, nausea or vomiting.
- Monitoring of thyroid gland function is required while taking this medicine. Inform your doctor if you notice symptoms of weight gain, dry skin, and hair.
- It may cause serious bleeding problem. Inform your doctor if you get headaches, stomach pain or if you notice blood in your urine or stools.
- Inform your doctor about the consumption of Sunitinib before going for surgical procedure.
- Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant, planning to conceive or breastfeeding.
Frequently asked questions for Sunitinib
You should take Sunitinib exactly as directed by your doctor. It should be started by doctors who have experience in administering cancer medicines. Take it once a day with or without food. Do not drink grapefruit juice or eat grapefruit during your treatment with Sunitinib, as the chances of side effects may be more.
During treatment with Sunitinib, your skin may get lighter and there may be hair loss. Also, patient may experience dryness, thickness or cracking of the skin, blisters, or rashes on the palms and soles. But, these side effects are reversible and go away once the medicine is stopped. Sunitinib may also cause serious skin reactions such as severe rash or rapidly spreading skin ulceration which could be fatal. Therefore, inform your doctor immediately if symptoms of infection occur around a skin injury. Let your doctor know if you have fever, pain, redness, swelling, or drainage of pus or blood.
Sunitinib can cause serious side effects such as severe liver problems that can lead to death. Therefore, tell your doctor right away if you experience itching, yellow eyes or skin, dark urine or pain or discomfort in the right upper stomach area. Your doctor will get blood tests done to check your liver function before and during treatment with Sunitinib. In case you develop liver problems, your doctor may stop the medicine temporarily or permanently.
There are no studies that support the use of Sunitinib with other chemotherapy medicines. For example, Sunitinib is used in Gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST), a type of cancer of the stomach and bowel, when imatinib (another anticancer medicine) no longer works or the patient cannot take imatinib.
Yes, Sunitinib may decrease your blood sugar levels. Therefore, if you are a diabetic, you need to be extra careful since your blood sugar levels may become so low that you may become unconscious. Keep a regular check on the blood sugar levels, based on which your dose of anti-diabetics may be changed.
Generally, Sunitinib is known to cause an increase in blood pressure. Therefore, it is important that you keep a regular check on your blood pressure levels. Inform your doctor if you have severe headache, dizziness, lightheadedness or change in vision. Your doctor may prescribe a medicine to treat the increase blood pressure or may stop your treatment temporarily till your blood pressure returns to normal.
There are no generics available for Sunitinib. Sunitinib blocks an enzyme which promotes the growth and spread of cancer cells. This enzyme is called protein kinase and is present on the surface of cancer cells. Blocking this enzyme stops the spread of cancer. Examples of other protein kinase inhibitors are erlotinib, gefitinib, lapatinib, vemurafenib and dasatinib.