A Promising Impact of Lenvatinib in liver cancer patients

Lenvatinib has been produced under the brand name Lenvima. Lenvima is a kinase inhibitor discovered and developed by Eisai.  In March 2018, It was approved for first-line treatment of liver cancer in Japan. The CSCO liver cancer guidelines released on August 4 this year have included Lenvatinib in the guidelines for first-line medication. On August 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lenvatinib capsules (Lenvima,Eisai) for the first-line treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It has previously been approved by the FDA for differentiated thyroid cancer and renal cell carcinoma.

Liver cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the liver. Currently, there is still a chance of radical cure only if it is surgically removed in the early stages. For patients with advanced liver cancer, the purpose of taking Lenvatinib for treatment is only to prolong the patient's survival and improve the quality of life, and it cannot completely cure liver cancer. Of course, for advanced liver cancer with surgical opportunities, postoperative combination with lenvatinib, interventional therapy, immunotherapy and other treatment methods can significantly prolong the patient's survival and improve the quality of life, but it is still difficult to obtain a cure.

Lenvatinib is an oral multiple receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) inhibitor that inhibits the kinase activity of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors VEGFR1 (FLT1), VEGFR2 (KDR) and VEGFR3 (FLT4). So far, Lenvima has been approved for the following indications: thyroid cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), combined with everolimus for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (second-line treatment), and combined with Keytruda (PD-1 tumor immunotherapy) for the treatment of advanced endometrial cancer. In Europe, lenvatinib is marketed under the brand name Kisplyx for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma. The effect will bring great confidence to patients. If you are worry about Lenvatinib price, then you must check generic options. 

Mechanism of action:

Lenvatinib blocks the action of proteins called receptor tyrosine kinases, which are involved in the formation of new blood vessels that supply cells with oxygen and nutrients, promoting their growth. These proteins can be present in large quantities in cancer cells, so lenvatinib, by blocking their action, can slow tumor growth and cut off the blood supply the tumor needs to grow. If there is no improvement or you feel worse, you should consult a doctor.

If you forget to take Lenvatinib

What you do about a missed dose depends on how much time is left until your next dose.

• If it is 12 hours or more before the next dose, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, then take the next dose at the usual time.
• If it is less than 12 hours until your next dose, skip the missed dose; then take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.

If you have any questions about the use of the drug, please contact your doctor.

Contraindications:

if you are allergic to lenvatinib or any other ingredients of the medicine then you should not take it.

Don't take it if you are breastfeeding your baby.

Side Effects:

Lenvatinib actually has certain side effects, which may cause the patient's hypertension to worsen or develop hypertension. In this case, if the patient's hypertension is above level three, it is recommended to appropriately reduce the drug dose or stop the drug for further observation. There may also be complications of liver and kidney function, such as the possibility of liver dysfunction or renal failure. If urine protein, renal dysfunction, or renal failure occurs, consider stopping the drug and observe renal function in time.

For patients with certain cardiovascular system diseases, such as patients with heart conduction diseases, or because the patient has coronary heart disease and the possibility of thrombotic diseases, it is recommended not to consider the use of lenvatinib for treatment within half a year. For patients with peptic ulcers, it is also not recommended to take medicines such as lenvatinib. Excluding the above situations, after consulting a pharmacist, you can consider taking lenvatinib for further treatment.

The most common adverse reactions to lenvatinib (incidence greater than or equal to 30%) are hypertension, fatigue, diarrhea, arthralgia and myalgia, decreased appetite, weight loss, nausea, stomatitis, headache, vomiting, proteinuria, and hand-foot syndrome dysphonia.

Conclusion

Lenvatinib can’t cure cancer but it will extend the patient’s life. India plays an important role in the global pharmaceutical market and is well-known for its relatively low medicine prices. Lenvatinib is available in India under the brand name Lenvat. As an imported drug, it may be more affordable in India than in other countries. Therefore, some patients may consider purchasing from India to reduce treatment costs.