Usage and dosage of trifluridine and tipiracil (Lanceford)

A fixed combination of trifluridine and tipiracil (Lonsurf) is approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. The drug is an appropriate treatment option for metastatic colorectal cancer in adults whose cancer continues to progress after treatment or who are unable to receive certain treatments. Trifluridine and tipiracil are also approved for previously treated metastatic gastric (stomach) cancer.

This medication is available as tablets in two different strengths: 15 mg trifluridine/6 mg tipiracil and 20 mg trifluridine/8 mg tipiracil. Treatment should be done under the guidance and supervision of a doctor experienced in the use of cancer drugs, which are available by prescription only. The dosage is determined by the doctor based on the patient's body surface area. A typical dose is 35 mg of trifluridine per square meter of body surface area. The drug is used in each 28-day treatment cycle and is taken twice daily for the first five days. This is followed by two days off and then taken twice daily for five days. After a total of 28 days, the next treatment cycle begins. Treatment should be continued as long as the patient benefits from it and the side effects are tolerable. If the cancer progresses or serious side effects occur, treatment will stop.

In the body, trifluridine is converted into its active form and integrated into the cell's genetic materialDNA. Therefore, trifluridine interferes with DNA function and prevents cells from dividing to create more cells. Trifluridine is more easily converted into its active form in cancer cells than in normal cells, allowing the drug to have higher levels of its active form and remain active in cancer cells for longer. This reduces the growth of cancer cells, while normal cells are only slightly affected. Tipiracil increases the levels of trifluridine in the blood by slowing its breakdown. This enhances the effect of trifluridine.