How long can I take Gilotrif (afatinib) for?

Drugs.com

Official answer

by Drugs.com

Gilotrif (afatinib) is a prescription medication used to help stop or slow the spread of cancer in people with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients tend to take Gilotrif for about 11 to 13 months, although the length of treatment varies from person to person.

How long you can take Gilotrif for depends on how well it’s working for you and the side effects it causes. Usually it’s taken until your cancer starts to progress or you can no longer tolerate the side effects.

In clinical trials, the median amount of time patients remained on Gilotrif was about 11 to 13 months. This is similar to the results from a study done in a real-world setting, which found that the median duration of time patients remained on Gilotrif for the first-line treatment of their NSCLC was 12.1 months. Patients who were male, had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or chronic kidney disease tended to take Gilotrif for a shorter period of time.

Patients who took Gilotrif in a real-world setting as a second-line treatment for NSCLC (when other treatments had failed) took it for about 8 months. However, in a phase III trial in patients using it as a second-line treatment, the Gilotrif-treated patients who experienced a longer-term benefit from the drug received Gilotrif for a median of 19 months.

Related medical questions

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords