Nexavar (Sorafenib) for Kidney Cancer

Overview
Nexavar is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a type of kidney cancer. It is typically prescribed for individuals whose cancer is advanced and cannot be surgically removed or has spread to other parts of the body. Nexavar is also known by its drug name, sorafenib.

Nexavar is a type of kinase inhibitor. It works by blocking certain proteins that promote cancer cell growth and blood vessel development in tumors. By targeting these proteins, sorafenib may help slow the progression of kidney cancer.

How do I take it?
Prescribing information states that Nexavar is typically taken orally (by mouth), as a tablet, twice daily without food. The drug should be taken exactly as prescribed by a healthcare provider.

Side effects
Common side effects of Nexavar include diarrhea, fatigue, infection, hair thinning or loss (alopecia), hand-foot skin reaction (painful redness, swelling, and blistering of the palms and soles), rash, weight loss, decreased appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, high blood pressure (hypertension), and bleeding (hemorrhage).

Rare but serious side effects may include cardiovascular events (such as heart attack or heart failure), severe bleeding, severe high blood pressure that does not respond to treatment, severe skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, gastrointestinal perforation (a hole that forms through the stomach or intestines), delayed wound healing, abnormal heart rhythms due to QT prolongation, serious liver damage, harm to an unborn baby (embryo-fetal toxicity), and issues with thyroid hormone management in people with thyroid cancer.

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Label: Nexavar — Sorafenib Tablet, Film Coated — DailyMed