Management of the main AEs experienced by the patients during MKIs and HS-TKIs treatment
AE | Management of AEs |
---|---|
Hypertension | 1. ACEI, ARBs, diuretics, beta-blockers, alpha-blockers, nitrate derivates, calcium channel blockers (low interaction potential)2. Nifedipine (use cautiously) |
Diarrhea | Grade 1: oral hydration and electrolyte replacement; initiate anti-diarrheal medication (loperamide; opioids: diphenoxylate/atropine, tincture of opium); BRAT dietGrade 2: intravenous (IV) fluids if the patient is unable to tolerate oral fluids; initiate/continue anti-diarrheal as mentioned above; BRAT diet; anticholinergic agents (hyoscyamine, atropine)Persistent grades 2, 3, 4: patient hospitalization (intensive care for grade 4); provide IV fluids and use anti-diarrheal agents and anticholinergics as mentioned above; consider octreotide |
Skin rash | Skin protection; urea lotion |
Weight loss, anorexia, nausea | Grade 1–2: generally, do not warrant interruption of drug unless intolerable AE despite optimal managementGrade 3 or intolerable adverse reactions: require interruption of the drug until resolution or improvement of AE and restart the drug at a reduced doseGrade 4: discontinue treatment in case of life-threatening reactionsIntervention:1. Nutritional supplements2. Appetite stimulation drugs: megestrol acetate, medroxyprogesterone acetate, dexamethasone, cannabinoids3. Antinausea drugs: metoclopramide4. Nutrionist counseling |
Fatigue | 1. Screening and earlier symptoms management2. Rate the patient level of fatigue on a scale of 0 to 10 (i.e., visual analogue scale, FACT-F)3. Encouraged patient to maintain an active lifestyle4. Agopunture5. Taking MKI in the evening (rather than during the day) can minimize daytime fatigue6. Exclude the comorbidities (anemia, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, etc.) or electrolyte abnormalitiesIn case of severe fatigue:1. Psychosocial intervention and exercise2. Management of sleep disturbances3. Pharmacological intervention (central nervous system stimulants, antidepressant) |
QTc prolongation | Grade 1 (450–480 ms): no drug interruption but careful follow-upGrade 2 (481–500 ms) and grade ≥ 3 (> 501 ms or > 60 ms compared to baseline): discontinue treatment |
MKIs: multikinase inhibitors; HS-TKIs: highly selective tyrosine kinase inhibitors; ACEI: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors; ARBs: angiotensin receptor blockers; BRAT diet: banana, rice, applesauce, toast; AE: adverse event; FACT-F: Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue; QTc: QT interval corrected for heart rate