Dacomitinib is used to treat a certain type of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body. Dacomitinib is in a class of medications called kinase inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of an abnormal protein that signals cancer cells to multiply. This helps slow or stop the spread of cancer cells.

Dacomitinib is available as an oral tablet. The normal dosage is one dose per day, with or without food. Dacomitinib should be taken every day at about the same time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any instructions on your prescription label that you are unsure about following. Administer dacomitinib precisely as prescribed. Never take it in larger or less amounts or more frequently than directed by your doctor.

Do not take another dose of dacomitinib right away if you vomit after taking it. Continue taking your medication as usual.

If you encounter particular dacomitinib side effects, your doctor may temporarily or permanently discontinue your therapy or lower your dose. Let your doctor know how you are feeling while undergoing treatment. Even if you feel better, keep taking dacomitinib. Never stop taking dacomitinib without consulting your doctor first.

Get a copy of the patient’s information from the manufacturer from your pharmacist or physician.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more details if you believe this drug should be used for something else.

Before taking dacomitinib,

• If you have any allergies, including to dacomitinib, other drugs, or any of the substances in dacomitinib tablets, notify your doctor right away. Get a list of the components from your pharmacist.
• Inform your doctor and pharmacist about any additional prescription and over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements, and herbal products you are now taking or intend to use. Incorporate any of the following: Amitriptyline, clomipramine (Anafranil), desipramine (Norpramin), duloxetine (Cymbalta), fluoxetine (Prozac), imipramine (Tofranil), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), and venlafaxine (Effexor) are examples of antidepressants; aripiprazole (Abilify), haloperidol (Haldol), risperidone (Risperdal), and thioridazine are antipsychotic drugs. Atomoxetine (Strattera) is a beta-blocker. Beta-blockers include carvedilol (Coreg), metoprolol (Dutoprol), and timolol. Codeine and dextromethorphan (found in many cough medications; in Nuedexta); proton-pump inhibitors like dexlanspoprazole (Dexilant), esomeprazole (Nexium), lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prilosec), pantoprazole (Protonix), and rabeprazole (AcipHex); oxycodone (Oxaydo, Xtampza ER); mexiletine; ondansetron (Zofran, Zuplenz); tramadol and the drug tamoxifen (Soltamox) (Conzip, Ultram). Your doctor might need to adjust your medication doses or keep a close eye out for any negative side effects.
• Take dacomitinib at least 6 hours before or at least 10 hours after taking a drug for indigestion, heartburn, or ulcers such as cimetidine (Tagamet), famotidine (Pepcid, in Duexis), nizatidine (Axid), or ranitidine (Zantac).
• Inform your doctor if you suffer from chronic diarrhoea, lung disease, breathing issues unrelated to lung cancer, liver illness, or kidney disease.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, let your doctor know. Before beginning treatment, you must perform a pregnancy test. Pregnancy should be avoided while taking dacomitinib. Throughout your dacomitinib treatment and for at least 17 days following your last dose, you should utilise a trusted form of birth control. Call your doctor right away if you conceive while taking dacomitinib. The foetus could be harmed by dacomitinib.
• If you are breastfeeding, let your doctor know. While taking dacomitinib and for 17 days following your last dose, breastfeeding should be avoided.
• Plan to use a moisturiser, stay out of the sun for short periods of time, and wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and protective clothes. Your skin may become more susceptible to sunburn after dacomitinib.

Keep eating normally unless your doctor instructs you otherwise.

Ignore the missed dose and carry on with my normal dosing routine. To make up for a missing dose, do not take a second one.

There may be negative effects from dacomitinib. If any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away, let your doctor know right once:

• Slim down
• Reduced appetite
• Oral sores
• The skin around one’s fingernails or toenails becoming infected
• Hair fall
• Cough
• Not enough energy
• Having trouble falling or staying asleep
• Eye swelling or redness (“pink eye”)
• Changing tastes
• Vomiting

Some adverse effects may be severe. Call your doctor right away or seek emergency medical attention if you have any of these symptoms:

• Diarrhea
• Breathing difficulty, coughing, and fever
• Skin conditions such as dryness, redness, rash, acne, itching, and blistering or peeling of the skin
• Chest ache

There may be more negative effects from dacomitinib. If you experience any strange issues while taking this medicine, contact your doctor right away.

You or your doctor can submit a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting programme online or by phone if you have a serious side event (1-800-332-1088).

Keep this medication tightly closed in the original container and out of the reach of children. Keep it away from excessive heat and moisture at room temperature (not in the bathroom).

Although many containers (such as weekly pill minders and those for eye drops, creams, patches, and inhalers) are not child-resistant and are simple for young children to open, it is crucial to keep all medications out of sight and out of reach of children. Always lock safety caps and promptly stash medication up and away from young children where it is out of their sight and reach to prevent poisoning. http://www.upandaway.org

Unused prescriptions must be disposed of carefully to prevent pets, kids, and other people from ingesting them. You should not, however, dispose of this medication in the toilet. Instead, utilising a medicine take-back programme is the easiest approach to get rid of your medication. To find out about take-back programmes in your area, speak with your pharmacist or the garbage/recycling department in your city. If you do not have access to a take-back programme, see the FDA’s Safe Disposal of Medications website at http://goo.gl/c4Rm4p for additional information.

Call the poison control hotline at 1-800-222-1222 in the event of an overdose. Moreover, information can be found online at https://www.poisonhelp.org/help. Call 911 right once if the person has collapsed, experienced a seizure, is having difficulty breathing, or cannot be roused.

Keep all of your appointments with your physician and the lab. Before you start your therapy, your doctor will run a lab test to determine whether dacomitinib can treat your cancer.

No one else should take your medication. Any queries you may have regarding medication refills should be directed to your pharmacist.

You should keep a written record of every medication you take, including any over-the-counter (OTC) items, prescription drugs, and dietary supplements like vitamins and minerals. This list should be brought with you whenever you see a doctor or are admitted to the hospital. You should always have this information with you in case of emergencies.