Does serpatinib increase the risk of bleeding?

Selpatinib is a targeted therapy drug mainly used to treat thyroid cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and other types of solid tumors with RET gene rearrangements. Although it has shown significant clinical efficacy, like other anti-cancer drugs, serpatinib may also cause some side effects, among which the risk of bleeding requires special attention.

Serpatinib may cause serious, including fatal, bleeding events. Among patients treated with serpatinib, a certain proportion of patients experienced grade ≥3 bleeding events, which may involve various parts of the body, such as cerebral hemorrhage, tracheostomy site bleeding, and hemoptysis. These bleeding events can be life-threatening and patients must be closely monitored for bleeding risk while using serpatinib.

In order to reduce the risk of bleeding, doctors will regularly assess the patient's bleeding risk when using serpatinib, including asking about the patient's bleeding history, family history, etc. During treatment, doctors will closely monitor the patient's blood pressure, heart rate and other vital signs to detect and deal with possible bleeding events in a timely manner. If a patient develops an increased risk of bleeding, doctors may adjust the dose of serpatinib or suspend treatment to reduce the risk of bleeding.

If patients experience any unexplained bleeding symptoms, such as nosebleeds, gum bleeding, skin ecchymosis, etc. while receiving serpatinib treatment, they should seek medical attention immediately and inform the doctor that they are receiving serpatinib treatment. During treatment, activities that may increase the risk of bleeding, such as strenuous exercise, tooth extraction, etc., should be avoided. Strictly follow the doctor's instructions for medication use and review to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the medication.

References:

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/drugs/selpercatinib