Afinitor (everolimus)

Afinitor was approved by FDA in 2009 for treatment of patients with metastatic Kidney cancer who have failed to respond to prior treatments with Sutent and Nexavar.  Afinitor is an oral drug and is usually prescribed at a dose of 10 mg once a day with or without food,  under the care of a medical oncologist. Afinitor inhibits mTOR, a protein in the cancer cell that controls tumor cell division and blood vessel growth.

Side effects:

The degree and severity of the side effects depend on the amount and schedule of the administration of this drug. Following are some of the most common and important ill effects:

• Low white blood counts
• Infections, specially lung infections
• Low platelet count
• Anemia
• Kidney damage
• Soreness of the mouth, difficulty swallowing

It is imperative that patients relay any side effects or problems to their medical oncologists.