Afatinib is a chemotherapy drug (Targeted therapy) belongs to the class of signal transduction inhibitor. it is available with the trade name of Gilotrif. it is a Tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Blocking of this enzyme results in inhibition of growth, proliferation, metastasis of the lung cancer cells.
Availability, Dosage and Administration
Afatinib is available in tablet form and can be taken orally. It should be taken 1 hour before food or 2 hours after food. Do not dissolve or powder the pill.
Availability
It is available in the tablet form with dose strength of 20mg, 30mg, 40mg.
Dosage
Recommended dose is 40 mg/day, Orally.
Uses
- It is approved for the treatment of metastatic Non-small cell Lung Cancer with EGFR mutations as
- detected by FDA approved test.
Side effects
Most people don’t experience the listed symptoms but the side effects improve one the treatment is complete. The most common side effects are :
- Skin toxicity in the form of rash, redness, itching, nail bed changes.
- Diarrhoea
- Lung toxicity in the form of increased cough, difficulty in breathing, fever etc
- Liver toxicity
- Tiredness, loss of Appetite
- Corneal inflammation.
Precautions
- Before starting Afatinib treatment, inform your doctor about other medications that you might be taking
- Do not take any anti inflammatory drugs provided your doctor permits it.
- Do not take any kind of vaccination or immunization without informing your doctor
- Inform your doctor before starting the Afatinib treatment if you are pregnant
- Do not conceive a child while on the Afatinib treatment. This applies to both men and women.
- Limit sun exposure as the treatment of Afatinib can make the skin sensitive to sunlight.
- The drug should be used with caution in patients with Liver impairment.
Read more on drugs used for treatment of lung cancer.