SUTENT is used to treat GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor). This is a rare cancer of the stomach, bowel, or esophagus. SUTENT is used when the medicine Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate) did not stop the cancer from growing or when you cannot take Gleevec.
Gleevec is a registered trademark of Novartis AG.
You may have side effects or reactions to SUTENT
®. Most patients
have moderate side effects that can be managed. In some cases, your doctor may change
the dose of SUTENT or stop treatment.
Be sure to talk to your doctor or nurse about any side effects or concerns you have.
Some side effects are more serious than others. It is important that you know the
signs of these side effects so you can tell your doctor if any of these problems
occur.
Tell your doctor if you feel very tired, are short of breath, feel faint or dizzy,
or have swollen feet and ankles.
- Rare, life-threatening events
- Hole in stomach or bowel wall (perforation)
- Bleeding from the tumor
Both of these side effects could cause symptoms such as painful, swollen abdomen,
vomiting or coughing blood, and black, sticky stools. Your doctor can tell you other
symptoms to watch for.
Your doctor may check your blood pressure while you are being treated with SUTENT
to see if you also need treatment for high blood pressure.
Patients who take SUTENT have these side effects more often than other side effects:
- Feeling tired/fatigue
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Mouth sores/stomatitis
- Upset stomach
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Skin or hair changes
- Taste changes
- Swelling
- Loss of appetite
- High blood pressure
- Bleeding (such as nosebleeds or bleeding from cuts)
You may have had some of these side effects before starting treatment with SUTENT.
Be sure to tell your doctor or nurse if there is any change or increase in your side
effects.