Sorafenib

Sorafenib is a prescription medication used to treat adults with certain types of liver, kidney, and thyroid cancers. Sorafenib belongs to a group of drugs called kinase inhibitors, which work by blocking proteins called kinases that are needed for cell growth.

This medication comes in tablet form and is taken twice a day, without food.

Common side effects include rash or itching of the skin, hair thinning, diarrhea, and weight loss.

Sorafenib is a prescription medication used to treat adults with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, type of liver cancer) that can not be treated with surgery. It is used to treat renal cell carcinoma (RCC, type of kidney cancer). Sorafenib is also used to treat differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC, a type of thyroid cancer) that can no longer be treated with radioactive iodine and is progressing.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information. 

Sorafenib may be found in some form under the following brand names:

• Nexavar

Sorafenib may cause serious side effects. See "Drug Precautions" section.

Common side effects include:

• rash, redness, itching or peeling of your skin 
• hair thinning or patchy hair loss 
• diarrhea (frequent or loose bowel movements) 
• nausea or vomiting 
• mouth sores 
• weakness 
• loss of appetite 
• numbness, tingling or pain in your hands and feet 
• abdominal pain 
• tiredness 
• weight loss


Tell your doctor if you have any side effects that bother you or that do not go away. These are not all the side effects with sorafenib. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Sorafenib and certain other medicines can interact with each other and cause serious side effects.  Especially tell your doctor if you are taking the following medicines:  

Sorafenib may cause serious side effects, including:

• decreased blood flow to the heart and heart attack. Get emergency help right away and call your doctor if you get symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, feel lightheaded or faint, nausea, vomiting, sweating a lot. 
• bleeding problems. Sorafenib may increase your chance of bleeding. Tell your doctor if you have any bleeding while taking sorafenib. 
• high blood pressure. Your blood pressure should be checked every week during the first 6 weeks of starting sorafenib. Your blood pressure should be checked regularly and any high blood pressure should be treated while you are receiving sorafenib. 
• a skin problem called hand-foot skin reaction. This causes redness, pain, swelling, or blisters on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet. If you get this side effect, your doctor may change your dose or stop treatment for some time. 
• perforation of the bowel. Tell your doctor right away if you get high fever, nausea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain. 
• possible wound healing problems. If you need to have a surgical or dental procedure, tell your doctor that you are taking sorafenib. sorafenib may need to be stopped until your wound heals after some types of surgery. 
• birth defects or death of an unborn baby. 


Do not take sorafenib if you: 

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice may interact with sorafenib and lead to potentially dangerous effects. Discuss the use of grapefruit products with your doctor.

Tell your doctor about all of your health conditions, including if you:

• have any allergies 
• have heart problems (including a problem called "congenital long QT syndrome")
• have chest pain 
• have bleeding problems 
• have high blood pressure 
• have kidney problems in addition to kidney cancer 
• have liver problems in addition to liver cancer 
• are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. 
• are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed. It is not known if sorafenib passes into your breast milk. You and your doctor should decide if you will take sorafenib or breastfeed. You should not do both. 

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. 

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Sorafenib falls into category D. In animal studies, pregnant animals were given this medication and had some babies born with problems. No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if sorafenib passes into your breast milk. You and your doctor should decide if you will take sorafenib or breastfeed. You should not do both. 

• Take sorafenib exactly as prescribed by your doctor. 
• The usual dose of sorafenib is 2 tablets taken two times a day (for a total of 4 tablets each day). Your doctor may change your dose during treatment or stop treatment for some time if you have side effects. 
• Swallow sorafenib tablets whole with water. 
• Take sorafenib without food (at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after a meal). 
• If you miss a dose of sorafenib, skip the missed dose, and take your next dose at your regular time. Do not double your dose of sorafenib. Call your doctor right away if you take too much sorafenib.

Take sorafenib exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully. Your doctor will determine the best dose for you.

The usual dose of sorafenib is 400 mg taken twice daily, without food. 

Your doctor may change your dose during treatment or stop treatment for some time if you have side effects.

If you take too much sorafenib call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Store sorafenib tablets at room temperature between 59° to 86° F (15° to 30° C), in a dry place.

Keep sorafenib and all medicines out of the reach of children.