Axitinib (Inlyta®)

Axitinib (Inlyta®) is a targeted therapy drug. It is used to treat kidney cancer that has spread outside the kidney.

What is axitinib (Inlyta®)?

Axitinib (Inlyta®) is a targeted therapy drug used to treat a type of kidney cancer called renal cell carcinoma that has spread outside of the kidney. This is called advanced or metastatic kidney cancer. It is best to read this information with our general information about targeted therapy and kidney cancer.

Axitinib is a type of treatment called a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). It is also known as a cancer growth inhibitor. Kinases are important proteins in the body that regulate how the cells grow and divide. Axitinib blocks the proteins (kinases) from sending signals to cancer cells to grow. Blocking the signals causes the cells to die.

Axitinib can also stop the cancer cells from developing new blood vessels. This reduces the cancer cell’s supply of oxygen and nutrients, so that the tumour shrinks or stops growing. This is known as anti-angiogenesis treatment.

Axitinib may be given on its own, or with immunotherapy treatment.

Your doctor will talk to you about this treatment and its possible side effects before you agree (consent) to have treatment.

More information about this treatment

This information is correct at time of publishing. But sometimes the types of cancer this treatment is used for, or treatment side effects, may change between revision dates.

You can talk to your cancer team if you want more detailed information about this treatment. Or visit the electronic Medicines Compendium (eMC) website, which has patient information leaflets (PIL) for individual drugs.

How axitinib is given

During treatment you usually see a cancer doctor, a specialist nurse and a specialist pharmacist. This is who we mean when we mention doctor, nurse, or pharmacist in this information.

Axitinib comes as tablets. Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will discuss your treatment plan with you. They will give you the tablets to take home with you. Always take them exactly as explained. This is important to make sure they work as well as possible for you. 

You usually carry on taking axitinib for as long as it is working for you. Do not stop taking axitinib without talking to your doctor first.

While you are taking axitinib, a nurse or person trained to take blood (phlebotomist) will take blood samples from you. These samples may be used to check:

  • the level of your blood cells
  • how well your liver, kidneys and thyroid gland are working.

You may also have a urine test before, and somtimes during, treatment to check your kidneys. If you have certain side effects, or changes in your blood test results, your doctor may tell you to stop taking axitinib. You may stop taking axitinib for a short time or to reduce the dose you take to manage the side effects. 

Taking axitinib tablets

You take axitinib 2 times a day, about 12 hours apart. Swallow the tablets whole with a glass of water. You can take axitinib with or without food. Do not take axitinib with grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice, as it may increase the risk of side effects.

Other things to remember about your tablets:

  • If you forget to take your tablet or are sick after taking it, just take your next dose at the usual time. Do not take a double dose. 
  • Keep them in the original package and at room temperature, away from heat and direct sunlight.
  • Keep them safe and out of sight and reach of children.
  • Get a new prescription before you run out of tablets and make sure you have plenty for holidays. 
  • If your treatment is stopped return any unused tablets to the pharmacist. 

About side effects

We explain the most common side effects of this treatment here. We also include some that are less common. 

You may get some of the side effects we mention, but you are unlikely to get all of them. And you may have some side effects, including rarer ones, that we have not listed here. 

Other cancer treatments may cause different side effects. If you are also having other cancer treatment, you may have other side effects.

Always tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist about any side effects you have. They can give you: 

  • drugs to help control some side effects 
  • advice about managing side effects. 

It is important to take any drugs exactly as explained. This means they will be more likely to work for you.

Serious and life-threatening side effects

Some cancer treatments can cause serious side effects. Sometimes, these may be life-threatening. Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist can explain the risk of these side effects to you.

Contact the hospital

Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will give you 24-hour contact numbers for the hospital. If you feel unwell or need advice, you can call at any time of the day or night. Save these numbers in your phone or keep them somewhere safe.

Common side effects

Diarrhoea

This treatment may cause diarrhoea. Diarrhoea means passing more stools (poo) than is usual for you, or having watery or loose stools. If you have a stoma, it will be more active than usual.

If you have diarrhoea:

  • try to drink at least 2 litres (31/2 pints) of fluids each day
  • avoid alcohol, caffeine, milk products, high-fat foods and high-fibre foods
  • contact the hospital for advice.

Contact the hospital straight away if:

  • you have diarrhoea at night
  • you have diarrhoea more than 4 times in a day 
  • you have a moderate or severe increase in stoma activity 
  • if you are given anti-diarrhoea drugs and they do not work within 24 hours.

Feeling or being sick

This treatment may cause you to feel sick, but this is usually mild. If you do feel sick, tell your doctor or nurse. Your doctor can prescribe anti-sickness (anti-emetic) drugs to help. Tell your doctor or nurse if the sickness does not improve. 

High blood pressure

Axitinib can cause high blood pressure called hypertension. Your blood pressure will be checked before and regularly during treatment. If your blood pressure is high, you may need drugs to control it.

Sometimes axitinib needs to be stopped if blood pressure becomes very high, or if blood pressure drugs are not working to lower it. It may be restarted at a lower dose when blood pressure comes back down.

Bruising and bleeding

This treatment can reduce the number of platelets in your blood. Platelets are cells that help the blood to clot.

If the number of platelets is low, you may bruise or bleed easily. You may have:

  • a nosebleed
  • bleeding from your gums
  • heavy periods
  • blood in your urine (pee) or stools (poo)
  • coughing up, or vomiting blood
  • tiny red or purple spots on your skin that may look like a rash.

Tell your doctor if you have any unexplained bruising or bleeding. You may need a drip to give you extra platelets. This is called a platelet transfusion.

Feeling tired (fatigue)

Feeling tired is a common side effect. Try to pace yourself and plan your day so you have time to rest between activities.

Being physically active can help to manage tiredness and give you more energy. It also:

  • helps you sleep better
  • reduces stress
  • improves your bone health.

If you feel sleepy, do not drive or operate machinery.

Effects on the thyroid gland

Axitinib can affect the way thyroid gland works. It will go back to normal after treatment. You will have regular blood tests to check your levels of hormones that are made by the thyroid.  

This side effect is usually mild and may not cause symptoms. But, feeling more tired or cold than usual can be a sign of low thyroid hormone levels. Tell your doctor if you notice this. Your doctor may give you drugs to take if your hormone levels are low. 

Hand-foot (palmar-plantar) syndrome

This treatment can affect the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. This is called palmar-plantar or hand-foot syndrome. 

If you have white skin these areas may become red. If you have black or brown skin, these areas might get darker. 

The skin on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet may:

  • be sore
  • be painful, tingle, or swell
  • peel, crack or blister. 

If you have any of these symptoms, contact the hospital straight away on the 24-hour number. They can give you advice. This is especially important if you have any broken skin or if walking is difficult. They can prescribe creams and painkillers to help.

You can care for your hands and feet by: 

  • keeping your hands and feet cool by washing in cool water
  • gently moisturising your hands and feet regularly
  • wearing gloves to protect your hands and nails when working in the house or garden
  • wearing loose cotton socks and avoiding tight-fitting shoes and gloves.

Joint and muscle pain

Some people have pains in their joints or muscles. Your doctor can prescribe painkillers for this.

Skin changes

This treatment can affect your skin. It may cause a rash, which may be itchy. Your doctor or nurse can tell you what to expect. If your skin feels dry, try using soap-free cleansers and unperfumed moisturising cream every day. 

Always tell your doctor or nurse about any skin changes. They can give you advice and may prescribe creams or medicines to help. Changes to your skin usually improve when treatment ends.

Loss of appetite

This treatment can affect your appetite. Don’t worry if you do not eat much for a day or two. But if your appetite does not come back after a few days, or if you are losing weight, tell your nurse or dietitian. They can give you advice. They may give you food or drink supplements. Or they may suggest changes to your diet or eating habits to help.

Some people also notice that food tastes different. Your nurse or dietitian can give you advice on coping with this.

Tummy (abdominal) pain

Some people have indigestion, heartburn, pain in their tummy or wind when taking axitinib. Let your doctor or nurse know if this happens to you. They may give you medicines to help.

Very rarely, axitinib can cause a hole (perforation) in the small bowel. Contact your doctor immediately if you have severe pain in the tummy and sickness and vomiting. It is also very important to let them know if you:

  • are bleeding from the back passage 
  • have black stools
  • are vomiting up blood
  • have vomit that is dark and grainy, like coffee grounds. 

Effects on the lungs

This treatment can cause changes to the lungs. Tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you develop: 

  • a cough that does not go away
  • wheezing
  • breathlessness.

You should also tell them if any existing breathing problems get worse. You may have tests to check your lungs.

Headaches

This treatment may cause headaches. If you have headaches, tell your doctor. They may give you painkillers to help.

Hoarse voice

You may notice your voice sounds hoarse or you may feel like you have a lump in your throat. Tell your doctor or nurse if you notice this. Drinking plenty of fluids may help. It will usually go back to normal when treatment stops.

Constipation

This treatment can cause constipation. Constipation means that you are not able to pass stools (poo) as often as you normally do. It can become difficult or painful. Here are some tips that may help:

  • Drink at least 2 litres (3½ pints) of fluids each day.
  • Eat high-fibre foods, such as fruit, vegetables and wholemeal bread.
  • Do regular gentle exercise, like going for short walks.

If you have constipation, contact the hospital on the 24-hour number for advice. They can give you drugs called laxatives to help. 

If you have not been able to pass stools for over 2 days and are being sick, contact the 24-hour number straight away. 

Sore mouth and throat

This treatment may cause a sore mouth and throat. You may also get mouth ulcers. This can make you more likely to get an infection in your mouth or throat. Use a soft toothbrush to clean your teeth or dentures in the morning, at night and after meals.

If your mouth or throat is sore:

  • tell your nurse or doctor – they can give you a mouthwash or medicines to help
  • try to drink plenty of fluids
  • avoid alcohol, tobacco and foods that irritate your mouth and throat.

Less common side effects

Blood clot risk

This treatment can increase the risk of a blood clot. Symptoms of a blood clot include:

  • throbbing pain, redness or swelling in a leg or arm
  • suddenly feeling breathless or coughing
  • sharp chest pain, which may be worse when you cough or take a deep breath.

If you have any of these symptoms, contact the hospital straight away on the 24-hour contact number you have been given. If you cannot get through to your doctor, call the NHS urgent advice number on 111.

A blood clot is serious, but it can be treated with drugs that thin the blood (anticoagulants). Your doctor or nurse can give you more information.

You can help reduce the risk of developing a blood clot by:

  • staying active during treatment
  • drinking plenty of fluids, especially water.

You may be given anticoagulants to help prevent a clot.

Effects on the heart

This treatment can affect how the heart works. You may have tests to check how well your heart is working. These may be done before, during and after treatment.

If the treatment is causing heart problems, your doctor may change the type of treatment you are having.

Contact the hospital straight away on the 24-hour number if you have any of these symptoms during or after treatment:

  • breathlessness
  • dizziness
  • changes to your heartbeat
  • swollen feet and ankles.

Other conditions can cause these symptoms, but it is important to get them checked by a doctor. 

Always call 999 if you have:

  • chest pain, pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest
  • difficulty breathing.

Effects on the brain

Rarely, this treatment causes a brain condition that can be serious. You can make a full recovery from this. But it must be diagnosed and treated quickly.

This condition can cause:

  • a headache that does not get better
  • drowsiness or confusion
  • changes in eyesight
  • fits (seizures).

If you have any of these symptoms, it is important to either:

  • contact the hospital straight away on the 24-hour number 
  • go to the hospital straight away. 

You should not drive yourself to hospital.

Anaemia (low number of red blood cells)

This treatment can reduce the number of red blood cells in your blood. Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. If the number of red blood cells is low, this is called anaemia. You may feel:

  • very low in energy
  • breathless 
  • dizzy and light-headed. 

If you have these symptoms, contact the hospital straight away on the 24-hour number. You may need treatment for anaemia. If you are very anaemic, you may need a drip to give you extra red blood cells. This is called a blood transfusion.

Effects on the liver

This treatment can affect how your liver works. This does not generally cause any symptoms and usually goes back to normal when treatment stops. You will have regular blood tests to check how your liver is working.

Effects on the kidneys

This treatment can affect how your kidneys work. This is usually mild and goes back to normal after treatment finishes.

You will have blood and possibly urine tests to check how well your kidneys are working. Tell your doctor or nurse if you have blood in your urine (pee) or you are passing urine less than usual. It is important to drink at least 2 litres (3½ pints) of non-alcoholic fluid each day to help protect your kidneys.

Hearing changes

This treatment may cause hearing changes, including hearing loss. You may have ringing in the ears. This is called tinnitus. You may also become unable to hear some high-pitched sounds. Hearing changes may get better after this treatment ends. But this does not always happen. If you notice any changes in your hearing, tell your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Hair thinning

While you are having this treatment, your hair may become thinner, drier and more brittle. This is usually mild. If you are worried about this, ask your nurse for advice on hair care.

Other information

Other medicines

Some medicines can affect how this treatment works or be harmful while you are having it. Always tell your cancer doctor, nurse or pharmacist about any drugs you are taking or planning to take, such as: 

Lactose

This drug contains lactose. If you have a lactose intolerance, talk to your doctor before you start taking this treatment.

Fertility

Some cancer drugs can affect whether you can get pregnant or make someone pregnant. If you are worried about this, it is important to talk with your doctor before you start treatment.

Contraception

Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist will advise you not to get pregnant or make someone pregnant while having this treatment and for some time afterwards. The drugs may harm a developing baby. It is important to use contraception to prevent pregnancy. Follow their advice about:

  • what types of contraception to use 
  • how long after treatment you should continue to use contraception. 

Breastfeeding

You are advised not to breastfeed while having this treatment, or for some time after treatment ends. This is because the drugs could be passed to the baby through breast milk. 

Your doctor, nurse or pharmacist can give you more information.

Vaccinations

Doctors usually recommend that people with cancer have vaccinations for flu and for coronavirus (covid). These help reduce your risk of serious illness from these infections. Most people can have these vaccines, including people with weak immune systems.

If your immune system is weak, you should not have live vaccinations. Live vaccines can make you unwell because they contain a very weak version of the illness they will protect you against. Live vaccines include Zostavax®, which is a shingles vaccine, and the yellow fever vaccine.

It is important to ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist for advice about having vaccinations. They can explain what vaccines are right for you and when it is best to have them.

Medical and dental treatment

If you need medical treatment for any reason other than cancer, always tell the healthcare professional that you are having cancer treatment. Give them the contact details for your cancer doctor or cancer team so they can ask for advice.

If you have appointments with a dentist, always tell them you are having cancer treatment. Talk to your cancer team before you have any dental treatment.

Slow healing of wounds

Wounds may take longer to heal while you are having treatment with axitinib. If you need an operation, your doctor will tell you to stop taking axitinib before it, and for a few weeks afterwards. You may also need to stop taking axitinib for a few days if you are having dental treatment. Talk to your doctor if you need to have surgery or dental treatment.

Less commonly, axitinib can cause a fistula from the bowel to the skin. A fistula is an opening between areas of the body that are not usually connected.

About our information

  • Reviewers

    This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert health professionals and people living with cancer.

    Our cancer information has been awarded the PIF TICK. Created by the Patient Information Forum, this quality mark shows we meet PIF’s 10 criteria for trustworthy health information.

The language we use

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

  • use plain English
  • explain medical words
  • use short sentences
  • use illustrations to explain text
  • structure the information clearly
  • make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.

Date reviewed

Reviewed: 01 November 2022
|
Next review: 01 April 2025
Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum
Trusted Information Creator - Patient Information Forum

Our cancer information meets the PIF TICK quality mark.

This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.