During the course of Encorafenib, a cancer treatment, a few areas of the body may be affected. Among these, the heart, liver, eyes and skin need careful monitoring throughout treatment to identify changes that may be usual or unexpected. Patients researching Braftovi in India should also understand why monitoring these areas is important during treatment. This article explores the subject to provide a better understanding.
Heart
i) Cardiomyopathy
Encorafenib can affect the heart and lead to a situation where the heart muscle becomes firm, causing the heart to lose its ability to pump blood effectively. This condition is called cardiomyopathy.
Your healthcare provider will check your heart function before and during treatment with Encorafenib. Inform your healthcare team immediately if any of the following signs occur:
- Feeling like your heart is pounding or racing
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in your hands, ankles, legs or feet
- Feeling faint or lightheaded
Assess ejection fraction by echocardiogram or MUGA scan prior to initiating treatment, one month after initiating treatment, and every 2 to 3 months during treatment.
The safety of Encorafenib in combination with binimetinib has not been established in patients with baseline ejection fraction that is either below 50% or below the institutional lower limit of normal (LLN).
Patients with cardiovascular risk factors should be monitored closely when treated with Encorafenib.
Withhold, reduce the dose, or permanently discontinue treatment based on the severity of the adverse reaction.
ii) QT prolongation
Encorafenib may cause a life-threatening condition named “QT prolongation”, where the heart muscle takes longer to contract and relax, resulting in an irregular heart rhythm and sudden cardiac arrest.
Inform your healthcare team if you experience symptoms such as:
- Fainting
- Feeling lightheaded
- Feeling dizzy
- Feeling your heart beating irregularly or rapidly during treatment
Monitor patients who already have or are at significant risk of developing QTc prolongation, including patients with known long QT syndromes, clinically significant bradyarrhythmias, severe or uncontrolled heart failure, and those taking other medicinal products associated with QT prolongation.
Correct hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia prior to and during Encorafenib administration.
Withhold, reduce the dose, or permanently discontinue treatment for QTc >500 ms.
Liver
The liver may develop damage, called “hepatotoxicity”, when patients receive Encorafenib along with binimetinib.
Monitor liver laboratory tests before initiation of Encorafenib treatment, monthly during treatment, and as clinically indicated. Withhold, reduce the dose, or permanently discontinue treatment based on the severity of side effects.
Inform your healthcare team if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Yellowing of your skin or eyes, or dark or brown (tea-coloured) urine
- Nausea or vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness
- Bruising
- Bleeding
Eyes
Encorafenib can cause inflammation of the middle layer of the eyeball called uveitis, inflammation of the coloured part of the eye called iritis, and painful inflammation of the iris and the ciliary body called iridocyclitis.
Inform your healthcare team if you experience symptoms such as:
- Blurred vision
- Loss of vision or other vision changes
- Seeing coloured dots
- Seeing halos (a blurred outline around objects)
- Eye pain
- Swelling or redness
Make sure to get your eye check-ups done at every visit. Perform an ophthalmologic evaluation at regular intervals, for new or worsening visual disturbances, and to follow up on new or persistent ophthalmologic findings.
Withhold, reduce the dose, or permanently discontinue treatment based on the severity of the adverse reaction.
Skin
Changes in the skin can appear in the form of new primary cutaneous malignancies, such as cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cuSCC), including keratoacanthoma (KA). These malignancies can occur in patients treated with BRAF inhibitors, including Encorafenib.
Inform your healthcare team immediately if you notice any of the following signs:
- A new wart
- A skin sore or reddish bump that bleeds or does not heal
- A change in the size or colour of a skin lesion
Perform dermatologic evaluations prior to initiating treatment, every 2 months during treatment, and for up to 6 months following discontinuation of treatment.
Manage suspicious skin lesions with excision and dermatopathologic evaluation.
Dose modification is not recommended for new primary cutaneous malignancies.
Conclusion
Your body deserves attention throughout treatment. Do not limit your observations to just the above-mentioned areas of the body; stay alert to any new or worsening symptoms. Communicate with your healthcare team about your concerns promptly.
For more information on chronic diseases, different types of cancer awareness and advanced treatments, visit us at 24/7QualityMeds. Whether you are looking for information about Encorafenib in India, understanding the treatment and its monitoring requirements is an important part of informed patient access.
