How do you take Kisqali?
Take the dose of Kisqali (ribociclib) your doctor orders at about the same time each day, preferably in the morning. Swallow Kisqali tablets whole with water. Take with or without food. Do not crush, split, or chew the medicine or take any tablets that look broken or damaged. Do not change your dose or stop taking Kisqali unless your healthcare provider directs you to do so.
If you miss a dose of Kisqali or vomit after taking a dose of Kisqali, do not take another dose on that day. Skip that dose and take your next dose at your regular time.
If you overdose or take too much Kisqali, call your doctor right away, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
Avoid eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice while you are taking Kisqali. The drug interaction between Kisqali and grapefruit can increase the amount of Kisqali in your blood and may cause or worsen side effects.
Also avoid taking St. John's Wort while you are being treated with Kisqali. Combining these medications may lower the blood levels of Kisqali, which may make the medication less effective in treating your cancer.
There are many other possible drug interactions with Kisqali. Be sure to have your doctor or pharmacist check for drug interactions with your prescription medicines, over-the-counter (OTC), herbal and vitamin products before and during treatment with Kisqali.
What is the recommended dose?
Your doctor will tell you how to take all of your medicines. Follow your doctor’s instructions exactly.
- In early breast cancer treatment, the recommended starting dose of Kisqali is 400 mg (two 200 milligram tablets) taken by mouth once daily for 21 days in a row, followed by 7 days off treatment, in combination with four weeks of a prescribed aromatase inhibitor (AI). Patients should take Kisqali for 3 years.
- In advanced or metastatic breast cancer, the recommended starting dose of Kisqali is 600 milligrams (three 200 milligram tablets) taken by mouth once daily for 21 days in a row, followed by 7 days without taking Kisqali treatment, to complete a cycle of 28 days. It is used in combination with a prescribed endocrine therapy (fulvestrant or an aromatase inhibitor).
Kisqali can be taken with or without food. People should take their dose at about the same time each day, preferably in the morning.
Pre- or perimenopausal women, or men, treated with the combination Kisqali plus an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant, should be treated with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist according to current clinical practice standards.
Your doctor may need to temporarily stop Kisqali, change your dose or permanently discontinue your regimen based on how well you tolerate the treatment.
Related: Kisqali dosage information (in more detail)
Related questions
- Does Kisqali improve survival / life expectancy for mBC?
- What are the benefits of taking Kisqali and Femara together?
- What is the strongest chemotherapy drug for breast cancer?
What type of breast cancer does Kisqali treat?
Kisqali can be used in 2 different populations to treat breast cancer.
Early Breast Cancer
Kisqali is used in combination with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) for the adjuvant treatment (after initial therapy) of adults with HR+/HER2- stage II and III early breast cancer (EBC) at high risk of recurrence.
Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer
Kisqali is used to treat adults with HR+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer (when the cancer has gotten worse or spread to other parts of the body). Kisqali is normally taken in combination with:
- an aromatase inhibitor (for example: letrozole or anastrozole), as the first endocrine-based therapy, or
- fulvestrant, as the first endocrine-based therapy or following disease progression on endocrine therapy.
It is not known if Kisqali is effective in children.
How do I store Kisqali?
After you receive the medicine from the pharmacy, you can store Kisqali at room temperature in its original blister pack between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C) for up to 2 months.
Keep Kisqali and all medicines out of the reach of children and pets.
This is not all the information you need to know about Kisqali (ribociclib) for safe and effective use and does not take the place of talking to your doctor about your treatment. Review the product information, and discuss this information and any questions you have with your doctor or other health care provider.
References
- Kisqali (ribociclib) [product information]. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
East Hanover, N.J. Revised Sept 2024. Accessed Nov 8, 2024 at https://www.novartis.com/us-en/sites/novartis_us/files/kisqali.pdf
Read next
How long do letrozole side effects last?
Most side effects of letrozole are mild and temporary, lasting only a few days or weeks until your body gets used to taking the medication. Some other side effects of letrozole take a few months to develop and tend to persist long term until you stop taking letrozole. The half-life of letrozole is 2 days, so once you stop taking letrozole, you might continue to experience side effects for about a week to 10 days after your last dose. Continue reading
What happens when you stop taking letrozole?
When you stop taking letrozole, side effects such as swelling, cough, hot flashes, and nausea, should improve within a week or 10 days. Some, such as high cholesterol, bone loss, and hair thinning may take many months to resolve. As long as you have taken it for at least 5 years, then letrozole should continue to reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back for many years after you stop taking it. Letrozole is usually taken for 5 years, but may be recommended for up to 10 years depending on individual circumstances. 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
Related medical questions
- Why are my nipples sore? 7 possible causes
- Does anastrozole cause hair loss?
- How do you relieve joint pain associated with tamoxifen or Aromasin?
- How long does Ibrance extend life?
- What does anastrozole do to your body?
- Is letrozole a form of chemotherapy?
- What are monoclonal antibodies?
- What is the success rate of Enhertu in metastatic breast cancer?
- What is the lifetime or cumulative dose for Adriamycin?
- Does Femara make your hair fall out?
- Why give Taxol (Paxel) before carboplatin?
- What is Herceptin? Is Herceptin a chemo drug? How does it work?
- Does letrozole affect blood sugar levels?
- How does AC (Adriamycin and Cytoxan [cyclophosphamide]) work for Breast Cancer?
- Will insurance pay for the cost of Ibrance?
- What is the success rate for Femara in breast cancer?
- What are 10 key Ibrance side effects to watch out for?
- What are the long-term side effects of Adriamycin?
- Treatments for Menopause
- Why do you need to take Xeloda with food?
- Is it common to lose hair AFTER stopping tamoxifen?
- Which is better - Aromasin or Femara?
- How long do you take Verzenio for?
- How long can you stay on Herceptin and Perjeta?
- How long does Herceptin stay in your body?
- What is Paxel called in the USA?
Drug information
Related support groups
- Kisqali (3 questions, 3 members)
- Ribociclib (1 questions, 4 members)
- Breast Cancer (127 questions, 310 members)
- Breast Cancer, Metastatic (58 questions, 80 members)
- Breast Cancer - Adjuvant (32 questions, 22 members)