What should patients pay attention to when using capmatinib?

Capmatinib is a targeted therapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in patients with mutations in the MET gene, particularly MET exon 14 skipping mutations.

What should patients pay attention to when using capmatinib?

Before using drugs for treatment, patients and doctors should pay attention to the precautions for the use of drugs, which are organized as follows according to the drug instructions:

1. Pancreatic toxicity

In the GEOMETRY mono-1 study, 14 percent of patients experienced elevated levels of amylase and lipase after capmatinib, 7 percent experienced grade 3 elevations, and 1.9 percent experienced grade 4 elevations.

Regular monitoring of amylase and lipase before and during treatment is recommended, and consideration may be given to temporary, dose reduction, or permanent discontinuation depending on the severity of adverse effects.

2. Allergic reactions

Some patients have experienced severe allergic reactions to capmatinib with symptoms including fever, chills, itching, rash, drop in blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting. Depending on the severity of the adverse effects, temporary or permanent discontinuation may be required.

What are the common side effects of capmatinib?

The most common adverse events during the treatment of capmatinib are some of the symptoms that patients generally experience, and these adverse reactions affect a significant proportion of patients (≥20% of patients reported).

1. Nausea

Nausea is an unpleasant feeling of wanting to vomit, often accompanied by discomfort in the upper abdomen or a feeling of stomach upside down. It is one of the common side effects and can be caused by direct irritation of the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract or by affecting the central nervous system.

2. Dyspnea

Dyspnea is characterized by the patient having to breathe strained, requiring rapid breathing or repositioning for relief. This may be a drug allergy, impaired lung function, or an increased cardiovascular burden. If you have this symptom, you should seek medical attention promptly.

[Warm tips] The adverse reactions listed above do not occur in every patient, and the severity and duration of symptoms may also vary from person to person. During the treatment, patients should pay close attention to their physical reactions and report the discomfort symptoms to the doctor in a timely manner.