Uses of Tafinlar

Tafinalar is a pharmaceutical drug in the drug class used to kill cells by inhibiting the BRAF protein. You may experience some dangerous side effects while using the drug. Here are some notes when using Tafinlar for your reference.

BRAF is a protein kinase that plays a role in regulating cell replication and activity. Modified BRAF protein can promote the growth of cancer cells. Therefore, Tafinlar is used to prevent BRAF protein kinase being inhibited from promoting cancer cell growth. As a result, the effect of the drug slows down the cell nucleus. After using Tafinlar, you can test to confirm the inactivity of cancer cells, even death.

Tafinlar is made in oral capsule, used 1 hour before meals. If you take the drug after meals, wait 2 hours. When taking the medicine, you should remember to keep the tablet whole and swallow, avoid chewing or crushing the medicine.
When using Tafinlar, it is important not to arbitrarily adjust the dosage compared to the doctor's prescription and instructions. Pay attention to use the correct dose, if you forget to take the medicine more than 6 hours, skip the missed dose, avoid taking a double, causing an overdose.

When using Tafinlar, if you have a stomach condition that leads to acid reflux, you should not take a proton pump inhibitor. Proton pump inhibitors may decrease the effectiveness of Tafinlar.
Based on research results, Tafinlar is effective for cancer patients with BRAF mutations. Therefore, not all cancer patients are compatible with Tafinlar.

It is difficult to avoid side effects when using drugs. However, if you understand and understand well, you will be able to detect early and easily control the disease.
The side effects of the drug include:
Fever: After using the drug you may increase your body temperature. When your body temperature reaches 38 degrees, you should go to the hospital to check. Please pay attention to check your body temperature regularly after taking the medicine to detect and handle it. Rash: Some patients may develop a rash. If your skin is cracked or bleeding, be sure to keep the area clean to avoid infection. Hair loss or flaking of the scalp: Your hair can become thin, brittle and even fall out a lot. This usually starts 2-3 weeks after using Tafinlar. It's not just the hair in the hairy areas that needs attention as that area can shed uncontrollably. HFS syndrome: HFS syndrome is a skin reaction that appears on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. This may be because some chemotherapy agents are absorbed by the skin cells. HFS may begin with a mild tingling, numbness, tingling sensation, redness or pain, and swelling of the limbs. The condition can then progress to painful swelling, blistering, or peeling of the skin that interferes with normal activities. High blood sugar: After taking Tafinlar you should regularly check your blood sugar. Periodic checks will help you to properly evaluate these metrics. Fatigue: Fatigue is a very common symptom during cancer treatment. During cancer treatment and after you recover from it, you may need to adjust your lifestyle plan. Diarrhea: Diarrhea often makes the patient tired because of repeated bowel movements, the body will fall into a state of dehydration. Swelling: Peripheral swelling occurs because the body can't get rid of water. It makes hands and feet swell. At the site of swelling may appear additional discomfort. So you should keep this point in mind, especially with patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Some foods or medicines can affect how Tafinlar works. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid using grapefruit or foods and drinks with grapefruit as an ingredient in it to avoid affecting the drug concentration in the blood. In addition, you should pay attention to avoid some drugs such as:
Rifampin; Ketoconazole ; Verapamil; Phenytoin; Modafinil. Taking Tafinlar can cause blood thinning. Always check your blood count periodically to avoid adverse effects from the medicine on your health.
In short, the drug Tafinlar uses is to kill cells by inhibiting the BRAF protein. To use the drug safely and effectively, the patient needs to take it exactly as prescribed by the doctor.

Reference source: oncolink.org