Bosutinib is used to treat Philadelphia chromosome-positive Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) in patients who are newly-diagnosed or for whom previous medicines to treat CML have been ineffective. CML is a type of cancer where the bone marrow produces too many white blood cells called granulocytes.
Take Bosutinib exactly as directed by your doctor or according to the instructions on the label. Do not take more or less than instructed by your doctor.
Take it together with food or immediately after a meal. Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water.
Try to take it at the same time each day.
The dose of this medicine will be decided by your doctor. Your doctor will advise you on the dosage and treatment timeframe depending on your condition and response to the medication.
Bosutinib must be taken regularly for it to be effective. Continue taking this medicine even when you feel better. Do not stop taking it unless instructed by the doctor.
If you missed your dose for more than 12 hours, skip the dose and take the usual dose the next day.
DO NOT double a dose under any circumstances.
If you often forget to take your medicine, inform your doctor and pharmacist.
Do not breastfeed while you are being treated with this medicine.
Inform your doctor if you have the following conditions:
- history of pancreatitis
- stomach disease
- heart disease
- kidney disease
- liver disease
Keep your appointments with your doctor. Your doctor needs to monitor your condition and check your response to the medication regularly. He may need to do routine blood tests (e.g. complete blood counts, liver and kidney function tests) while you are being treated with Bosutinib. Your doctor will advise you about how often you need to have these tests.
Bosutinib may cause any of the following side effects: swelling in your legs, stomach pain, diarrhoea, rashes, headache, nausea, vomiting, cough, tiredness, fever, and muscle and joint pain.
Bosutinib will cause the level of your red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets to drop.
Red blood cells carry oxygen around your body. A fall in the level of red blood cells may make you feel tired and worn out.
White blood cells help your body to fight infections. A fall in the level of your white blood cells may put you at higher risk for infections, such as coughs, colds and flu, which may lead to more serious infections. Avoid crowded places and people who are sick. Alert your doctor if you have a fever, or a cough or flu that does not go away.
Platelets help your blood to clot when there is a cut in the skin. When the level of your platelets drops, you may be at risk of bleeding more than usual. Do not participate in activities in which you may fall or get injured, such as contact sports. Alert your doctor if you get any unusual bruising (large bruises or several bruises) or bleeding that takes a long time to stop (for example, too much bleeding when you floss or brush your teeth).
Some side effects may be serious, although they are not common. Alert your doctor quickly if you experience rashes with peeling of the skin or blistering of the lips, mouth or eyes accompanied by fever.
Inform your doctor if any of these side effects do not go away or are severe, or if you experience other side effects.
Inform your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any of these medicines:
- certain antibiotics e.g. clarithromycin, erythromycin, telithromycin
- medicine for depression e.g. nefazodone
- medicines for epilepsy (fits or seizures) e.g. carbamazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin
- medicine for irregular heart beat e.g. verapamil, diltiazem
- medicines for viral infection such as HIV e.g. atazanavir, indinavir, saquinavir, ritonavir
- medicines to treat fungal infection e.g. ketoconazole, itraconazole, voriconazole
- medicines to treat TB (lung infection known as tuberculosis) e.g. rifampicin
- gastric medicine e.g. omeprazole, esomeprazole, lansoprazole
This list does not include all medicines that may interact with Bosutinib.
Always notify your doctor and pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including herbal tonics such as traditional Chinese medicines, supplements and medicines that you buy without a prescription.
Avoid alcohol and excessive consumption (more than 1 litre a day) of grapefruit juice. Avoid St John's wort.
Store in a cool, dry place away from the reach of children.
As this is a cancer medicine, always return any unused or expired tablets to the clinic, hospital or pharmacy for disposal. Do not throw it away in the household waste.
Medicines must not be used past the expiry date.
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