Nexavar side effects

luka123
luka123 Member Posts: 3
edited March 2014 in Liver Cancer #1
My mom (now 62) was diagnosed with hepatacellular carcinoma (no cirrhosis/hepatitis) back in 10/08. Docs removed a 17 cm tumor, and tumors returned within 5 months or so. She had 3 chemo embolisms, some different chemo combinations including Tarciva (very limited success). She now has 4-5 7 cm tumors.

Her doc just switch her to Nexavar. The side effects were just brutal...within a matter of days she couldn't walk, feet were raw and blistered, along with hands and elbows. They halved the dose, and the same thing happened. Her AFP levels were around 6000 before the Nexavar, and actually lowered just a smidge, even though she took the drug so briefly. Today she starts a quarter dose, with the hopes she can tolerate the side effects. Next month she gets a treatment similar to a chemo embolism, with with glass beads (can't remember the name).

Anyone out there have similar side effects with Nexavar? Does it get better by lowering the dosage? People replying to similar Nexavar topics seem to tolerate the drug much better.

Cheers to you all - this is such a beastly disease.

Comments

  • jimmyjack
    jimmyjack Member Posts: 3
    #2
    Nexavar side effects
    My wife started on 1/2 dose Nexavar 3 mos. ago and broke out into a severe rash plus very high fever. We took her off for 1 week and then started her on 50mg every other day and wroked her up to now 400 mg every day. I will watch her carefully to see if any side effects turn up which can't be managed. We pray that the Nexavar will help her. She had a scan about 1 month ago which showed some improvement in tumor shrinkage but more small scattered lung spots. Up til then, she'd been only taking about 25% of the full dose. She so wants to be able to tolerate this "life line".

    She was dx about 2 years ago with HCC (unresectable) and has had 3 targeted treatments to her liver (TACE plus SIRT).

    I welcome your's and anyone else's comments.
  • slg
    slg Member Posts: 200
    #3
    jimmyjack said:

    Nexavar side effects
    My wife started on 1/2 dose Nexavar 3 mos. ago and broke out into a severe rash plus very high fever. We took her off for 1 week and then started her on 50mg every other day and wroked her up to now 400 mg every day. I will watch her carefully to see if any side effects turn up which can't be managed. We pray that the Nexavar will help her. She had a scan about 1 month ago which showed some improvement in tumor shrinkage but more small scattered lung spots. Up til then, she'd been only taking about 25% of the full dose. She so wants to be able to tolerate this "life line".

    She was dx about 2 years ago with HCC (unresectable) and has had 3 targeted treatments to her liver (TACE plus SIRT).

    I welcome your's and anyone else's comments.

    Nexavar/Jimmyjack and Luka123
    My husband has been on Nexavar off and on since January. He had very bad hand/foot side effects and was taken off and then back on. He is now on 600 mg a day and tolerating them pretty good. His latest side effect is very bad diarrhea. He can't tolerate any DAIRY! It's preety bad. Now he has had some bleeding and we've been to the emergency room twice in two days. Hopefully tomorrow we'll know more. On the positive side, his tumors have shrunk his AFP is in the normal range.
    We have been trying to get a Nexavar group together through our Dr. but with no luck. Soooo, I am looking into starting a a blog for us Nexavar patients/caregivers. Anyone interested in joining/responding? if so, please email me at slg72@aol.com. We need to stick together and share information.
    Best of luck!!!
    SLG

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