Bill Posted February 18, 2006 Share Posted February 18, 2006 IMO long term use of Tarceva will result in some degree of hepatoxicity. My wife's liver function levels began slowly deteriorating about 60 ~ 90 days after starting treatment ( 3/3/05 ). For instance, her total bilirubin level has now tripled since 3/3/05 ( 0.4 to 1.2 mg/dL. ) and her albumin level has dropped and stayed below the reference range for several months now. Her AST and ALT have not been affected and have remained within the reference range. Some other reported total bilirubin levels that I'm aware of are much higher than my wife's. If your med onc hasn't already done so, I would urge any patient taking Tarceva for an extended period of time to request that your hematology panel include at least the basic liver function measures. Your basic CBC does not contain the information necessary to adequately evaluate liver function. B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jyoung20 Posted February 18, 2006 Share Posted February 18, 2006 Thanks Bill, Okay--I'm worried, I have been on Tarceva for eight months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 I think most medications have some sort of adverse risks but they are usually fairly rare. Tarceva may cause liver problems according to this: http://www.tarceva.com/tarceva/professi ... safety.jsp Other problem it can cause is Interstitial Lung Disease. One thing to be aware of certain foods may cause an increase in the level of Tarceva in the body. Fay A wrote about this awhile ago. one food to avoid is grapefruit and some other things like St John's Wort. So you might want to ask your Dr. I think the enzyme was CYP3A http://www.tarceva.com/tarceva/pancreat ... o_take.jsp http://depts.washington.edu/nwst/articl ... ctions.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesbean Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 Thanks for the heads up with this. It makes me worried for my dad. In an case, he has blood and liver tests every month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted February 19, 2006 Author Share Posted February 19, 2006 P.S. Based on my wife's hematological history with Tarceva, plus collateral information, total bilirubin elevation and albumin decline seem to be the two key liver function measures to watch in connection with Tarceva-induced hepatotoxicity. AST and ALT elevations are also mentioned in the medical literature but, as I stated in my previous post, these levels have remained essentially unchanged in my wife's case. ALP elevation is also mentioned in the literature but since my wife has or had bone mets ( and consequential bone damage ) I don't place much weight on this measure when I review her liver function levels. The manufacturer summarizes it this way : Hepatotoxicity Asymptomatic increases in liver transaminases have been observed in TARCEVA treated patients; therefore, periodic liver function testing (transaminases, bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase) should be considered. Dose reduction or interruption of TARCEVA should be considered if changes in liver function are severe (see ADVERSE REACTIONS section). B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamataca Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 Mom has been on Tarceva for about 10 months now, and her labs are still good. They keep an eye on her kidney and liver functioning b/c of other health issues. Nice of you to give us the heads-up, though. Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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