bobcat
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Could Hypoxia be caused by taking Afantinib?
The Ariad drug can in a low % of cases. Enough to keep me out because she thought it might for me. It was a good call as I know have it.
Regards,
Cathy
Forums
Reply # - January 21, 2014, 08:58 AM
Reply To: Question on side effects od Affantib?
Hi Cathy,
It's not listed as a side effect in the Afatinib prescribing info (and those documents are known to include everything even remotely possible, for legal reasons). The prescribing info can be found here: http://bidocs.boehringer-ingelheim.com/BIWebAccess/ViewServlet.ser?docB… But see Dr. Creelan's post which follows.
JimC
Forum moderator
Reply # - January 21, 2014, 09:56 AM
Reply To: Question on side effects od Affantib?
Like Iressa and Tarceva, the afatinib (Gilotrif) can very rarely cause inflammation in the lungs, called pneumonitis. This can cause hypoxia.
This can happen in about 1% of patients. It is more common in Asian patients, it is more like 2%. The common way to diagnose it is with CT scan and clinical judgement.
This is a side effect seen with all the other EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including Iressa and Tarceva.
Hope this helps.
Reply # - January 21, 2014, 05:00 PM
Reply To: Question on side effects od Affantib?
I agree with every word from Dr. Creelan, and I'd only add that the challenge is that there are other potential causes for hypoxia in patients with cancer, so I wouldn't presume that this is the leading explanation in the absence of imaging showing a diffuse new infiltrate in the lungs that started on an EGFR inhibitor.
Good luck.
-Dr. West