Wednesday, 23 May 2018

Sutent for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma

Sutent is a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that is used for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. Multi-tyrosine kinases are a group of molecules that are responsible for the growth, progression and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma.  Treatment with sutent stops the actions of these molecules and help to decrease the progression of renal cell carcinoma. Only advanced renal cell carcinoma is treated with sutent.


How is sutent administered for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma?

Sutent is supplied as 12.5 mg, 25 mg, and 50 mg capsules. The treatment concentration is determined by the medical practitioner and taken by mouth once daily, with or without food. The most common dose  is 50 mg. Treatment of renal cell carcinoma with sutent is performed in an on/off cycle fashion, which means 50 mg every day for 4 weeks, followed by no drugs for 2 weeks. This cycle continues at the discretion of the medical practitioner.

How effective is sutent treatment in renal cell carcinoma?

The effect of sutent for renal cell carcinoma is determined by progression-free survival. In simple terms, progression-free survival is the length of time during and after the treatment the disease does not get worse. Treatment of renal cell carcinoma with sutent gives a progression-free survival of approximately 11 months (range 5 to 11 months). This means sutent treatment can stop the worsening of renal cell carcinoma from 5 to 11 months. In most cases, sutent does not prolong the lifespan of patients.

What are the adverse side effects of sutent treatment in renal cell carcinoma patients?

Renal cell carcinoma patients who are treated with sutent experience many adverse side effects. This does not mean that all patients who take sutent will experience all of these side effects. These are patient-specific. The general adverse side effects of sutent treatment include general tiredness, sore mouth, swollen hands and feet, high blood pressure, chest pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight and loss, hair loss, dizziness, yellowing of skin or eyes, unusual bleeding from nose, mouth, vagina or rectum, dark urine and many more.

It should be noted that although high blood pressure is one of the adverse side effects of sutent treatment in renal cell carcinoma patients, it is a sign that the drug is working well.

No comments:

Post a Comment