How long do you take Sutent before it starts to work?
Sutent is a cancer medication that is taken as an oral capsule. Sutent reaches peak blood levels within 6 to 12 hours, which is when it starts to have its effect of reducing cancer growth and spread.
In a clinical trial NCT 00075218 for Sutent they looked at the median length of time gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients had before cancer progressed (progression-free survival).
- For patients on placebo treatment it was only six weeks before cancer progressed, whereas for patients on Sutent the median length of time before cancer progression was 24.1 weeks.
- Therefore Sutent extended median length of time to cancer progression by 18.1 weeks.
How long does it take for Sutent to leave your body?
- One dose of Sutent takes between 8 and 12 days before most (96%) of it to leave your body.
- Some of the Sutent is broken down by the body into an active metabolite which takes between 16 and 23 days for most (96%) to be removed from the body.
What is Sutent?
Sutent is cancer medicine that is used to interfere with the growth and spread of cancer cells.
It used to treat these specific types of advanced or progressive tumours:
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumor in adults after their disease has progressed with imatinib mesylate or in they are intolerant to imatinib mesylate.
- Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma in adults.
- Renal cell carcinoma in adults who have had a kidney removed but there is still a high risk of RCC recurring.
- Well-differentiated advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in adult patients, which is not able to be surgically removed or when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
References
Sutent Medication Information: www.drugs.com/pro/sutent.html
Drug Half-life Explained: www.drugs.com/article/drug-half-life.html
Read next
Does Sutent shrink tumors?
Five times as many people with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) saw their tumors shrink with Sutent compared with those who were taking interferon α (IFNα). Studies also reported that, on average, people treated with Sutent lived more than twice the number of months without progression compared to those taking IFNα. Overall, clinical trials have proven that Sutent is more effective than IFNα, but some people may not tolerate it well, and it has a black box warning for severe liver toxicity. Sutent is not a cure, and it may not be effective for everybody. Continue reading
Is Sutent considered a chemotherapy drug?
Sutent is used to treat certain types of cancer, but it is considered a targeted treatment, rather than a traditional chemotherapy drug. Sutent (sunitinib) works by inhibiting receptors that exist on the surface of some cells called receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). These receptors help cells to communicate with each other and control several different biological functions, such as cell growth, motility, differentiation, and metabolism. Continue reading
What is the success rate of Keytruda?
In general, PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors like Keytruda have been shown to significantly prolong overall survival (OS) in some patients with various cancer types, but Keytruda does not always work for everyone. Continue reading
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Drug information
- Sutent Information for Consumers
- Sutent prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side Effects of Sutent (detailed)
- Sutent user reviews (30)
Related support groups
- Sutent (5 questions, 32 members)
- Renal Cell Carcinoma (31 questions, 103 members)
- Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (9 questions, 20 members)
- Pancreatic Cancer (6 questions, 27 members)