OLAPARIB belongs to a group of medicines known as 'anti-cancer' drugs used to treat various cancers, including Ovarian, breast, pancreatic, and prostate. Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific body part grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The cancerous cells can attack and destroy surrounding healthy tissue, including organs.
OLAPARIB contains Olaparib, a targeted drug called a
Use this medicine as directed by your doctor. You may sometimes experience shortness of breath (dyspnoea), feeling very tired, pale skin or fast heartbeat, anaemia, feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), indigestion or heartburn (dyspepsia), loss of appetite, headache, changes in taste of foods (dysgeusia), feeling dizzy, cough and diarrhoea. Most of these side effects may gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, consult your doctor.
To treat your condition effectually, continue taking OLAPARIB for as long as your doctor has prescribed. Do not stop using the OLAPARIB midway. Talk to your doctor before taking OLAPARIB if you have severe allergic reactions to OLAPARIB or other medicines or suffer from severe infections, renal dysfunction, hepatic disorders and blood cell counts are too low. Avoid taking OLAPARIB if you are pregnant or breastfeeding because this OLAPARIB can cause harmful effects on the unborn baby. Both women and men using this OLAPARIB should use birth control to avoid pregnancy. While on OLAPARIB treatment, you should avoid eating grapefruit, Seville oranges or consuming grapefruit juice since it can affect how the medicine works.
Cancer (Ovarian cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer)
OLAPARIB contains Olaparib, a targeted drug called a
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor or healthcare professional has told you. To treat your condition effectually, continue taking OLAPARIB for as long as your doctor has prescribed. Do not stop OLAPARIB midway. Talk to your doctor before taking OLAPARIB if you have severe allergic reactions to OLAPARIB or other medicines or suffer from any medical illness. Avoid taking OLAPARIB if you are pregnant or breastfeeding because this OLAPARIB can cause harmful effects on the unborn baby. Both women and men using this OLAPARIB should use birth control to avoid pregnancy. Do not start OLAPARIB unless patients have recovered from haematological damage induced by previous chemotherapy (Grade 1). Check full blood count for cytopenia at baseline and monthly afterwards for clinically significant changes during treatment. For persistent haematological toxicity, discontinue OLAPARIB and monitor blood count weekly until recovery. Do not receive any immunization or vaccination without your doctor's approval while taking the OLAPARIB.
Drug-Drug Interactions: OLAPARIB interacts with medicines used in the treatment of HIV (e.g. amprenavir, darunavir), a medication used to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (e.g. aprepitant), vaccinations (e.g. BCG, Dengue vaccine, mumps virus vaccine), Antibacterial drugs (e.g. ciprofloxacin), and anti-fungal medications (e.g. fluconazole, itraconazole).
Drug-Food Interactions: Do not drink Grapefruit juice, Seville oranges and Alcoholic beverages while treated with OLAPARIB. It can affect the way the medicine works.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Inform your doctor before taking the OLAPARIB if you suffer from illness. It requires close monitoring if you suffer from Infections (bacterial/fungal/protozoal/viral), severe renal or hepatic dysfunctions and low blood count.
Avoid alcohol consumption while on treatment with OLAPARIB.
OLAPARIB should not be used during pregnancy because it can harm your fetus (newborn baby). Both women of childbearing potential and men must use an effective contraception method while taking OLAPARIB and at least for six months later treatment. Your doctor will weigh the benefits and risks before prescribing this medicine.
Do not breastfeed during this treatment because the medicine may pass into your milk. Doctors normally advise against breastfeeding throughout this treatment and for one month after the final medication is taken.
OLAPARIB may affect your reactions and your ability to drive. Do not drive and/or operate machines that require your alertness.
In patients with mild or moderate liver impairment, there is no need to alter the initial dose. There is no information available on patients with severe liver impairment.
In patients with mild or moderate kidney impairment, there is no need to alter the initial dose. There is no information available on patients with severe kidney impairment.
The safety and effectiveness of OLAPARIB in pediatric patients have not been established.
Cancer: Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific body part grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue, including organs. Cancer sometimes begins in one body part before spreading to other areas.
Ovarian cancer: Ovarian cancer begins in the ovaries (one of a pair of female reproductive glands in which the ova, or eggs, are formed).
Breast cancer: Breast cancer is a type of cancer that develops in breast cells stimulated by a female sex hormone called estrogen. Breast cancer may form in lobules (glands that produce milk), ducts of the breast (the pathway that brings milk from glands to the nipple), and the fatty tissue or the fibrous connective tissue within the breast. The tumour cells invade other healthy breast cells and travel to lymph nodes, a primary pathway for the cancer cells to move to other body parts. Symptoms of breast cancer include a lump in the breast or tissue thickening, which feels different than the normal surrounding tissues, breast pain, redness, swelling, and nipple discharge other than breast milk.
Prostate cancer: Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that only occurs in men and affects the prostate gland, a tiny gland under the bladder that produces semen. Inability to urinate easily, pain, numbness, or sexual issues are among the symptoms. For men, it is the most typical type of cancer. Although the exact cause of prostate cancer is unknown, it may be brought on by family history, chemical exposure, or both. Prostate cancer risk factors include a family history of the disease, advanced age, obesity, and genetic changes.