Sutent®
Learn More About Cancer Treatment Centers Of America: Chat with Us | Email Us
Indicated for use in treatment of advanced kidney cancer (also called advanced renal cell carcinoma or RCC), as well as for treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) following resistance to Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate), Sutent® is a once-daily oral medication. It works by stopping angiogenesis and proliferation, two processes responsible for the growth and spread of tumors.
Proliferation is the process of cell division. Unlike normal cells in your body, cancer cells divide more frequently than they should, resulting in the formation of a tumor. Angiogenesis is the process of new blood cell formation, which provides tumors with the oxygen and nutrients needed to grow. Sutent® works by inhibiting these two processes through the blockage of signals, preventing tumor growth.
At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), your team of cancer specialists will work together to determine if Sutent® is the right treatment option for you. Your individualized plan of cancer treatment, which uses a combination of traditional, innovative and complementary therapies, will treat all of you—not just the cancer.
Learn more about our comprehensive approach to cancer treatment. Chat now with an Oncology Information Specialist to determine if CTCA is the right treatment center for you.
Patients undergoing Sutent® treatment have experienced the following serious side effects:
- Heart problems
If you experience fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, or swollen feet or ankles, contact your doctor immediately.
- Perforation (a hole in stomach or bowel wall)
- Bleeding from the tumor
Symptoms associated with these two life-threatening events include the following:
- Painful or swollen abdomen
- Coughing blood
- Vomiting
- Dark, sticky stools
Sutent® treatment may also result in increased blood pressure. During treatment with Sutent®, your doctor will monitor your blood pressure, and treat you accordingly.
Other less serious side effects associated with Sutent® treatment include the following:
- High blood pressure
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Mouth sores
- Upset stomach
- Abdominal pain
- Changes to skin or hair
- Taste alterations
- Swelling
- Loss of appetite
- Bleeding (examples are nosebleeds or bleeding from wounds)
It is important to note that these are not all of the side effects associated with Sutent® treatment. At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), your team of cancer doctors will discuss the expectations and potential side effects of Sutent®, as well as all other therapies used as part of your personalized cancer treatment plan.
Sutent® is used to treat advanced kidney cancer, also known as advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), by helping to stop the growth of cancer cells. Patients with advanced kidney cancer typically take Sutent® on a dosing cycle, and continue that cycle as recommended by their doctor.
Sutent® is also indicated for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a cancer of the digestive system. Sutent® is used when the medication Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate) does not prevent the spread of cancer, or when patients are unable to take Gleevec®.
Your team of cancer specialists at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) will work with you to determine if Sutent® is an appropriate treatment for you. Learn more about our unique, whole-patient approach to cancer treatment. Contact us today at 800-615-3055.
CTCA treats many types of cancer. If you would like more information on treatment options available at our cancer hospitals, please contact one of our cancer information specialists at 1-800-615-3055 or click here to chat.