How long do you take Alecensa for?
How long do you take Alecensa for and when do you stop taking it? What is the normal dose for Alecensa?
- The length of time that you take Alecensa for will depend on your response and how well you tolerate it. In the clinical trial ALEX: NCT02075840, the length of time Alecensa was taken ranged from months to over a year, with the median length of time being 18.6 months.
- Alecensa treatment usually continues until there is disease progression or the patient has unacceptable side effects.
- Alecensa is used to treat ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body.
How is Alecensa taken?
Alecensa is an oral tablet that is taken twice a day.
- Usual starting dose is 600mg twice daily.
- This dose can be reduced to 450mg twice daily or even 300mg twice daily if the patient is unable to tolerate side effects.
- If side effects continue to be a problem at the lower dose of 300mg twice daily, then Alecensa should be discontinued.
References
- Alectinib versus Crizotinib in Untreated ALK-Positive Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1704795
- Alecensa Health Professional Information: https://www.drugs.com/pro/alecensa.html
Related medical questions
- What is the mechanism of action for Alecensa (alectinib)?
- How effective is Alecensa for ALK-positive NSCLC?
- How does Alecensa work?
- What is Alecensa used to treat?
- Is small cell or non-small cell lung cancer worse?
- Is non-small cell lung cancer hereditary?
- How aggressive is non-small cell lung cancer?
- Does smoking cause non-small cell lung cancer?
- What type of lung cancer is Vizimpro used to treat?
- What type of cancer is Tecentriq used to treat?
- How long does it take for Keytruda to work?
Drug information
- Alecensa Information for Consumers
- Alecensa prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Alecensa (detailed)
Related support groups
- Alecensa (5 questions, 4 members)
- Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (50 questions, 70 members)