SUTENT is used to treat GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor). This is a rare cancer of the stomach, bowel, or esophagus. SUTENT is used when the medicine Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate) did not stop the cancer from growing or when you cannot take Gleevec.
Gleevec is a registered trademark of Novartis AG.
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SUTENT comes in 12.5-mg, 25-mg, and 50-mg capsules that are taken once per day by
mouth. Most patients take SUTENT on a dosing cycle: they take SUTENT every day for
4 weeks (28 days), then stop for 2 weeks (14 days). Patients repeat this cycle for
as long as their doctor tells them to.
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See a chart of the treatment schedule below.
- Follow your doctor's or nurse's instructions on how and when to take SUTENT
- Make sure to tell your doctor or nurse if you are taking any other medicines,
vitamins, or herbal products
- This includes any supplements or over-the-counter products
- Take SUTENT exactly the way your doctor tells you to. Do not open the capsules
- Try to take SUTENT at about the same time each day
- SUTENT can be taken with or without food
- Do not drink grapefruit juice or eat grapefruit because this can change the amount
of SUTENT in your body
- Do not take St. John's Wort while taking SUTENT
- If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember unless it is close to the time
for your next dose. Do not take more than 1 dose of SUTENT at a time, and tell your
doctor or nurse if you miss a dose
- Call your doctor right away if you take too much SUTENT (more than 1 dose
of SUTENT at a time)