What is the most important information I should know about alectinib?
Alectinib can cause serious or life-threatening side effects.
Call your doctor right away if you have: heart problems --severe dizziness, very slow heartbeats; lung problems --fever, chest pain, cough, trouble breathing; kidney problems --a change in your urine color, little or no urination, swelling in your lower legs; or liver problems --upper stomach pain, dark urine, loss of appetite, yellowing of the skin or eyes.
What is alectinib?
Alectinib is a cancer medicine that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.
Alectinib is used to treat a certain type of non-small cell lung cancer caused by an abnormal gene, when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
Alectinib may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking alectinib?
You should not use alectinib if you are allergic to it.
To make sure alectinib is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have:
- lung or breathing problems other than lung cancer;
- liver disease;
- kidney disease; or
- slow heartbeats or other heart rhythm disorder.
Do not use alectinib if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use effective birth control to prevent pregnancy while you are using this medicine and for at least 1 week after your last dose.
If you are a man, use effective birth control if your sexual partner is able to get pregnant. An unborn baby can be harmed if a man fathers the child while he is taking alectinib. Keep using birth control for at least 3 months after your treatment ends.
Tell your doctor right away if a pregnancy occurs while either the mother or the father is taking alectinib.
It is not known whether alectinib passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using alectinib and for at least 1 week after your last dose.
How should I take alectinib?
Before you start treatment, your doctor will perform a special test to make sure alectinib is the best treatment for your type of lung cancer.
Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
Alectinib is usually taken twice per day.
Alectinib works best if you take it with food.
Do not crush, chew, dissolve, or open an alectinib capsule. Swallow it whole.
If you vomit shortly after taking an alectinib capsule, do not take another one. Wait until your next scheduled dose and take the regular amount of medicine at that time.
While using alectinib, your heart rate and blood pressure will need to be checked often. You will also need frequent blood tests to check your liver function. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results of these tests.
Read all patient information, medication guides, and instruction sheets provided to you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
Store at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
What happens if I miss a dose?
Skip the missed dose and take the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not use extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.
What should I avoid while taking alectinib?
Avoid exposure to sunlight or tanning beds during treatment and for at least 7 days after your last dose of alectinib. This medicine can make you sunburn more easily. Wear protective clothing and use sunscreen and lip balm (SPF 50 or higher) when you are outdoors.
What are the possible side effects of alectinib?
Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if you have:
- a very slow heart rate;
- a light-headed feeling, like you might pass out;
- unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness;
-
lung problems --sudden chest pain or discomfort, wheezing, dry cough or cough with mucus, feeling short of breath;
-
low red blood cells (anemia) --pale skin, unusual tiredness, feeling light-headed or short of breath, cold hands and feet;
-
kidney problems --a change in your urine color, little or no urination, swelling in your feet or ankles; or
-
liver problems --stomach pain (upper right side), loss of appetite, easy bruising or bleeding, feeling tired, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Your cancer treatments may be delayed or permanently discontinued if you have certain side effects.
Common side effects may include:
- anemia;
- constipation;
- swelling in your face, eyelids, hands, or lower legs;
- tired feeling; or
- muscle pain.
This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
What other drugs will affect alectinib?
Other drugs may interact with alectinib, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell your doctor about all your current medicines and any medicine you start or stop using.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist can provide more information about alectinib.
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Copyright 1996-2018 Cerner Multum, Inc. Version: 2.01. Revision date: 11/9/2017.
