Dasatinib (Sprycel)

Brand named Sprycel, Dasatinib is a tyrosine kinases inhibitor (TKI) used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL). It has also been tried for treatment of mesothelioma in clinical trials.

Dasatinib is a higher-tier drug used for patients who are not responding to other available therapies including Gleevec or are unable to take those drugs due to allergic reactions or heavily expressed side effects. The drug operates by preventing excessive phosphate transfers between ATP and protein which is correlated with many types of cancer. Dasatinib has not been tested on children and is only approved for use in adults.

Sprycel is administered orally, and the usual dosage is twice daily: once in the morning and again in the evening. A common side effect of Sprycel is pleural effusions or excess fluid around the lungs which compress them to the point that breathing is difficult or stopped. Another side effect is reduction of red blood cell counts and blood loss originating around: the brain, gastrointestinal tract, nose, and mouth. Since Sprycel is processed in the liver, other patients developed issues with liver function which returned to normal after an adjustment period. Some other side effects of Dasatinib include:

Head aches
Pain in joints
Rashes or redness
Nausea
Weight loss
Dizziness
Diarhhea

If any of the following side effects are experienced, you should contact your doctor immediately:

Sudden swelling
Excessive weight gain
Black outs
Unexpected blood loss
Severe headaches
Chest pains
Black, pink, or bloody mucus when coughing
Difficulty breathing
Blood in stool

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